For decades, a destroyer’s 90 VLS cells represented a finite defense against cheap, asymmetric threats. The US Navy’s HELIOS system, developed by Lockheed Martin, is designed to change that math.HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance) is a directed-energy weapon that is revolutionizing naval warfare. Installed on destroyers like the USS Preble, it provides a “deep magazine” and virtually “infinite ammunition”—defeating drone swarms and fast-attack boats for about $1 per shot.This 60kW laser is fully integrated with the Aegis Combat System and has three primary functions:Hard Kill: Physically destroying targets like drones and small boats.Soft Kill: Dazzling and blinding enemy sensors (a capability shared with the ODIN system).ISR: Using its own optics as a long-range sensor to feed targeting data back to Aegis.