The U.S.’s latest amphibious ship is getting a laser weapon just in time to show off at
the 2018 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) war-games.
The USS Portland, which will function as the flagship for the multinational military exercises,
is set to receive the latest version of the Navy’s Laser Weapon System.
. US Naval Institute News reports the Navy is installing the next generation version
of its Laser Weapon System (LaWS) on the ship.
This development paves the way for laser weapons to be integrated across the Navy fleet.
In this video, Defense Updates examines WHY INSTALLATION OF LATEST LASER WEAPON SYSTEM
(LaWS) IN USS PORTLAND IS A SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT?
USS Portland is a San Antonio-class landing platform, dock ship, it is set to enter service
with the U.S. Navy in April.
The Portland displaces 25,000 tons, and has a top speed of 22 knots.
According to the Sixteenth Edition of The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of
the World, it can carry two LCAC (Landing Craft, Air Cushion), roughly 700 Marines,
and up to 4 helicopters.
It is armed with the Mk 31 launcher for the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile and two 30mm
Bushmaster II chain guns.
The weapon is a next-generation upgrade from the U.S. military's Laser Weapon System (LaWS),
which has been tested in the Middle East aboard the U.S.S.
Ponce, programme manager Captain Brian Metcalfe said.
Like its predecessor LaWS, the new weapon will be a “bolt-on” addition to the ship’s
arsenal and as such will not be fully integrated into Portland’s other systems and in current
configuration will essentially act as a test bed.
The existing laser weapon is a $40 million system has demonstrated the ability to take
down an incoming drone, undeterred by wind and without making any noise.
As soon as the laser makes contact with a drone, the vehicle heats to a temperature
of more than 1,000°F (537°C) and explodes.
The weapon is also extremely precise, which could minimize deaths in wartime, according
to the Navy.
This is a 30-kilowatt system.
It is predicted to be combat ready by 2020.
The US NAVY is planning larger laser guns of between 100 and 150 kilowatts.
A lot of the ships in the Navy’s fleet are capable of having them aboard.
For example, Ford class super carriers have newly designed reactors, 2 Bechtel A1B nuclear
reactors producing 300 MW of electricity, triple the 100 MW of each Nimitz-class.
This extra power is meant for powering Laser weapons for future.
The speed – 50,000 times the speed of an incoming
intercontinental ballistic missile – enables it to strike a target almost instantaneously.
Silent and generally invisible, as it usually operates at an optical wavelength indiscernible
to the human eye, the Laser Weapons System (LaWS) runs off its own electrical generator
and needs no ammunition.
Highly accurate, it is very effective when used against small, speedy targets, including
incoming rockets, small drones and artillery shells.
Low maintenance, high safety, and long lifespan are its characteristics.
The cost is only about a dollar a shot.
The maximum range is limited as laser energy tends to diffuse in the atmosphere, especially
when obstructed by sand, smoke or fog.
Atmospheric absorption, scattering, and turbulence prevent shipboard lasers from being all weather
weapons.
A laser beam has difficulty burning through denser materials.
It needs time to inflict the damage and disable a heavy projectile.
With no kinetic impact, a laser may fail to stop the target.
In theory, laser weapons may be used for offensive missions, but the primary function is defensive.
Countermeasures to laser guidance also include laser detection systems, smoke screen and
anti-laser active protection systems.
Targets can be coated with materials that can absorb laser energy.
Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) is the largest multinational exercise in the world.
Hosted by the U.S. Navy, it is held on even-numbered years off the coast of Hawaii.
It is designed to practice interoperability among navies, allow naval forces from different
countries to familiarize themselves with one another, and ends with a big SINKEX, a sinking
exercise where everyone sinks decommissioned ships.
Twenty six countries participated in 2016: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile,
Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the People's Republic of China, Peru, the Republic of Korea,
the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, the U.K., and the U.S. Brazil
had to back out at the last minute.
Almost all the participants are either friendly to the United States or key allies with the
sole exception being China.
The presence of a laser on the Portland will be a reminder to those allies present just
who has the most technologically advanced naval force in the world.
It will also make an impression on the Chinese military, which has been working on directed
energy weapons.