The US Navy this week conducted tests of a laser canon version of the Phalanx CIWS (close-in weapons system) robotic gun turret, also known as “R2-D2.” The Phalanx system currently in use automatically targets, tracks, fires, corrects its own aim, and destroys incoming missile or artillery targets using 20mm shells fired at a rate of 2,000 – 3,000 rounds per minute.
Video of traditional Phalanx system, which uses bullets:
The problem with the Phalanx and other CIWS systems is that they shower the surrounding neighborhoods with raining shrapnel, and in some cases, entire 20mm shells whose self-destruct has failed. Enter the LaWS (Laser Weapon System). Mounted on the same R2-D2 platform, the LaWS destroys targets with a high-powered laser, producing no shrapnel of its own, and costing much less to use. On May 24th, several unmanned aerial vehicles were shot out of the sky by the LaWS in combat simulations.
No video of the LaWS tests is available at this time.
Read more at [theRegister]