The US military is deploying high-energy laser weapons in the Strait of Hormuz to take on drones in the Middle East, with soldiers using modified Xbox game controllers to operate the systems.
According to The New York Post, Donald Trump’s Department of War said the lasers are being used to destroy “drones and incoming cruise missiles at a much lower cost than using more expensive kinetic weapons like missiles”. The technology has been in development in the US for around 50 years and is now also being tested along the country’s southern border.
How do the laser weapons work?
Instead of firing a physical interceptor at an incoming target, the system uses concentrated energy to damage or destroy it. Power from generators or battery packs is converted into photons, which are then focused into a beam directed at the target.
The beam can heat a specific part of the target until it explodes. Mark Neice, president of Directed Energy Consultants, told the New York Post that the systems can track drones precisely and direct the beam at a chosen point, either disabling their sensors or destroying the drone itself.
The approach can also reduce the cost of individual engagements because the system does not require a separate physical missile for every target.
Why are soldiers using Xbox controllers?
The controls may sound familiar to gamers. Soldiers operating the laser systems use reconfigured Xbox game console controllers rather than a completely specialised control system.
The thinking is fairly straightforward: if the gaming industry has already developed controllers that work well, there is little reason to design an entirely new system for the same basic task.
Jared Keller, who runs the Laser Wars newsletter, said it now makes sense to move laser weapons out of laboratory settings and use them in outdoor environments. On the gaming connection, he said: “If you’ve shot a Spartan laser in ‘Halo’, you can probably fire [one of the weapons] in real life.”
Lasers are being tested in different settings
The technology is being used in the Middle East, while experts also say lasers have been used against Mexican cartels. Several battleships in the Middle East are also using the technology.
However, experts said the systems have not yet been used against human targets.
Brent Ziarnick, a senior fellow in defence studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, told the New York Post that enough energy could make the technology a strong defensive system. He said it could eventually reduce the need for large ammunition stockpiles and significantly alter military logistics.
Why aren’t laser weapons everywhere yet?
The systems still have practical limitations. The equipment currently being used in the Middle East is large and heavy, meaning laser backpacks for soldiers are not expected there anytime soon. The systems are instead mounted on battleships.
They also work best when the sky is clear and are less effective when several drones are launched together.
The US military is reportedly spending $500 million on the technology. One system, known as HELIOS, or High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance, can focus a 60-kilowatt high-energy laser on objects. Boeing has also unveiled its Compact Laser Weapon System, or CLWS, which can be used against Group 3 drones.
The technology has been under development for decades, but its use is now moving further into real-world environments, from the southern US border to the Middle East.
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