The solid-state Laser Weapon System is designed to target what the Navy describes as 'asymmetrical threats'

Those include aerial drones, speed boats and swarm boats -- all are potential threats in the Persian Gulf, specifically from Iranian forces

The system is aboard the USS Ponce, which has been patrolling with the weapon since late August

The US military has deployed its first laser weapon ever to be used in combat.

The science fiction made real armament is seven years in the making and comes at a cost of $40 million.

Dubbed the 30-kilowatt-class Laser Weapon System, the devices was installed onto the USS Ponce in August, where the warship has been patrolling with it ever since.

Navy officials say the weapon can set fire to targets at the speed of light. Those targets include aerial drones, speed boats and swarm boats, all potential threats to warships in the Persian Gulf, where the Ponce, a floating staging base, is deployed.

The laser weapon system (LaWS) prototype combines light beams from six commercial, off-the-shelf solid-state welding lasers.

Each beam has a power of 5.5 kilowats, to create a laser with a total power of round 33 kW.

The light from the six lasers is said to be incoherently combined because the individual beams are not merged into a true single beam (i.e., the individual beams are not brought in phase with each other).

Speed of light: Navy officials say the weapon can set fire to targets at the speed of light. Those targets include aerial drones, speed boats and swarm boats, all potential threats to warships in the Persian Gulf, where the Ponce, a floating staging base, is deployed
Speed of light: Navy officials say the weapon can set fire to targets at the speed of light. Those targets include aerial drones, speed boats and swarm boats, all potential threats to warships in the Persian Gulf, where the Ponce, a floating staging base, is deployed

Speed of light: Navy officials say the weapon can set fire to targets at the speed of light. Those targets include aerial drones, speed boats and swarm boats, all potential threats to warships in the Persian Gulf, where the Ponce, a floating staging base, is deployed

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