The U.S. Navy has confirmed that the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Preble successfully tested its High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system, taking down an aerial target drone during Fiscal Year 2024. This marks the latest milestone in the Navy’s efforts to integrate shipboard laser weaponry, even as other military laser programs have faced setbacks in recent years. The test aimed to “verify and validate the functionality, performance, and capability” of HELIOS, representing a key step toward making shipboard laser systems fully operational. Details of the test were disclosed in the Pentagon’s annual Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOTE) report,However, the report provided little information on the exact time and location of the test conducted by Preble, a Flight IIA variant of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.Developed by Lockheed Martin, the laser is a cutting-edge directed energy weapon that is being deployed to counter new types of aerial threat like drones.In this video, Defense Updates reports on HELIOS laser testing from Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Preble.#defenseupdates #HELIOS #usnavy