During the first week of May, the US Navy successfully tested a new laser weapon system on board USS Portland. During the Hawaii test, USS Portland fired a laser onto an unmanned floating aircraft. This was the first time the Navy had deployed a laser weapon system on a ship. Northrop Grumman was responsible for the design of the laser weapon system. It can be used against small aircraft and unmanned aerial systems. The laser is expected be more powerful than the one that was tested by the Navy on USS Ponce (AFSB (I)-15) seven-years ago.
The expected power of the laser system at Portland will be 150 kilowatts. This is five times greater than the 30-kilowatt laser tested by the Navy on USS Ponce. This upgrade is part of the Navy’s effort to improve the laser weapons systems onboard ships. It is expected that the laser can kill or disable unmanned aircraft, artillery. mortars and rockets. The laser's range on Portland has not been determined by the US Navy.
USS Portland (San Antonio-class amphibious dock ship) is part of the San Antonio class. She is part USS Essex Amphibious Ready Group. She will deploy to the U.S. 4th Fleet to participate in the Rim-of-the Pacific wargames. Portland will serve as the flagship of these multinational military exercises. The ship will be accompanied three other ships: USS Little Rock is an amphibious assaultship; USS Pearl Harbor is an amphibious dock-landing ship; and USS Essex is an amphibious attack ship. All three ships will be carrying the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
Portland will likely be the first American ship to use a laser weapon system. This is a major step towards improving the United States' defenses against small boats, unmanned aircraft vehicles, and artillery. It will also remind allies about the United States' naval supremacy.
Officials from the US Navy claim that the new laser weapon is capable of protecting ships against small boats, mortars and rockets. It will also assist in countering Houthi rebels at the Red Sea. Since years, the Navy has been developing directed energy weapons. The Navy actually regularly tests new technology on the Arabian Peninsula. It has demonstrated robots in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Aden.
Northrop Grumman received the contract to design and test the laser weapon in 2015. The company also belongs to the Essex Amphibious Ready Group. The company is working on the Solid State Laser - Technology Maturation (SSL-TM) Laser Weapon System Demonstrator, which is a high-energy laser weapon system. To generate a stronger beam, the SSL-TM employs multiple lasers with different wavelengths. SSL-TM has been successfully tested on land. The demonstration is expected to be the first step in the development of a 150 kilowatt laser weapon.
The Navy has tested the laser system on USS Ponce as well as Portland. This is an interim afloat forward station in the Middle East. In October 2000, a small-sized suicide bomber attacked the ship from a boat. Two people were killed and 37 others were injured in the attack. The engines of the ship were also damaged by the attack.