The USS Preble is the only U.S. destroyer armed with the HELIOS, which can fire laser beams to destroy fast attack craft and drones.

In the vast expanse of the ocean, a streak of white light pierces the sky. It’s not a natural phenomenon, but a weapon — a high-energy laser fired from the deck of a U.S. Navy destroyer. This is HELIOS, the High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance, and it represents a bold step into the future of military technology.

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. (Tribune News Service) — A new photo from the United States military shows the successful use of a laser weapon made to destroy drones. The U.S. Center for Countermeasures’ released the photo of the USS Preble using the laser weapon, referred to as “HELIOS” in its annual report.

The U.S. Navy’s High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system faced its first airborne target during a test in 2024, a first-time for the HELIOS program that will help the U.S. Navy inform other programs under the Directed Energy and Electric Weapon System effort.

The HELIOS system, developed by Lockheed Martin, uses more than 60 kilowatts of directed energy—enough to power 60 homes. The laser can destroy targets up to five miles away and operate without running out of power, as it draws its energy from the ship's constantly replenishing source.

The United States Navy released the first real image of the HELIOS, an advanced laser weapon system installed on warships.

The US Navy successfully tested its new laser weapon mounted on a warship. The dramatic photo above depicts the High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system zapping an anti-ship cruise missile.