Commentary: Here’s how the U.S. Navy will defeat Iran’s speedboats | Reuters
▻http://www.reuters.com/article/us-navy-iran-commentary-idUSKCN1151SB
And that’s not all. In 2014, the U.S. Navy fitted a new, large laser gun to the amphibious ship USS Ponce, which is permanently stationed in the Persian Gulf, where it acts as an at-sea base for helicopters, small boats and special operations forces. Big, slow and otherwise lightly armed, Ponce was uniquely vulnerable to the guard corps boat swarms.
The so-called #Laser_Weapon_System , aimed by an operator holding a video-game-style controller, shoots a 30-kilowatt laser over a distance of several miles. As #LaWS doesn’t fire conventional missiles or bullets, instead drawing power from a generator, it essentially never runs out of ammunition. Perfect for wiping out a swarm.
The laser system is a one-off weapon – and, at $40 million, it didn’t come cheap. But having proved that a laser can work in real-world conditions, the Navy is planning to build more and bigger lasers and, potentially, outfit all its front-line warships with them. If that happens, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps swarms might finally meet their match.