---
title: "The US Military Is Officially Rolling out Its HELIOS Laser Weapon"
description: "The Navy will outfit a destroyer with the HELIOS laser weapon system for the first time in 2021, and hopes to upgrade the technology from there."
date: "2019-05-29"
modified: "2019-05-29"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-military-helios-laser-weapon"
categories:
  - "Military"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "lasers"
  - "technology"
  - "the digest"
---

# The US Military Is Officially Rolling out Its HELIOS Laser Weapon

![The Navy will outfit a destroyer with the HELIOS laser weapon system for the first time in 2021, and hopes to upgrade the technology from there.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/us-military-helios-laser-weapon.png>)
*\<em\>Image: Lockheed Martin\</em\>*

## Upgrades Ready

The U.S. Navy just [announced which ship](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-military-giant-laser-cannon>) will be first to be outfitted with HELIOS, a powerful [anti-missile laser weapon](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-military-giant-laser-cannon>).

In 2021, the USS Preble, a destroyer operating out of the Pearl Harbor naval base, will be equipped with the HELIOS, according to *[The Honolulu Star-Advertiser](<https://taskandpurpose.com/uss-preble-laser-weapon-system>) —* and the weapon will become the Navy's go-to system for disabling any inbound cruise missiles launched by China and Russia.

## Infinite Ammo

Right now, the Navy uses a Gatling gun [called the Phalanx](<https://www.naval-technology.com/features/featurelaser-quest-phalanx-laws-and-the-future-of-close-in-weapon-systems-4295413/>) to shoot down missiles or drones, per *The Honolulu*. With a new laser system, the Navy hopes to improve its anti-drone and anti-missile capabilities.

"We are making the decision to put the laser on our \[destroyers\]," Ronald Buxall, the Navy's director of surface warfare, [told *Defense News*](<https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2019/05/23/when-it-comes-to-missile-killing-lasers-the-us-navy-is-ready-to-burn-its-ships/>). "It's going to start with Preble in 2021, and when we do that, that will now be her close-in weapon that we now continue to upgrade."

## Room For Improvement

Lockheed Martin, the company that developed the laser weapon, demonstrated that a 10-kilowatt laser can destroy drones and 30 kilowatts is enough to disable a truck, according to the newspaper.

The HELIOS system that will be attached to the USS Preble can fire at 60 kilowatts, according to *The Honolulu*, and the Navy expects to upgrade it to [150 kilowatts](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-military-laser-weapon-100-kilowatt>) of power.

**READ MORE:** [One lucky destroyer crew will officially be the first to rock the Navy's newest laser weapon](<https://taskandpurpose.com/uss-preble-laser-weapon-system>) \[*The Honolulu Star-Advertiser*\]

**More on HELIOS:** *[The U.S. Military Is Buying A $130 Million Laser Weapon](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/us-military-laser-weapon-100-kilowatt>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)