West 2026: CNO dials up demand signal for laser weapons

The US Navy is looking to accelerate the development of laser weapons like the HELIOS system shown here on USS Preble . (Richard Scott/NAVYPIX)

The biggest reason for the lag in development of an operational onboard laser system for US Navy (USN) ships likely has more to do with messaging than mechanics, according to Admiral Daryl Caudle, chief of naval operations (CNO).

The USN has failed to send out the appropriate “demand signal” to industry to develop such a system and its associated technological modifications, Adm Caudle said on 10 February during a media round table at the West 2026 conference in San Diego, California.

As shown in such laser programmes as the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS), the technology needed for such a system exists and just lacks the appropriate joint navy-industry focus to get the systems on ships, according to Adm Caudle.

Laser weapons are included in the design of the proposed new battleships for the USN future fleet.

“I was part of getting lasers on battleships,” Adm Caudle told reporters on 14 January during the Surface Navy Association National Symposium.

“Laser power is available. We have free-electron lasers today that can scale to a megawatt plus to a gigawatt plus.”

To read more about future USN weaponry, please seeSpecial Report: ‘Golden Fleet' provides new twists on traditional naval concepts .

The issue is one of designing a ship for the weapon system, according to Adm Caudle. “It's the engineering into the shipboard design. Optics are critical.”

Until recently there has been no business case to solve these challenges, he noted. However, the USN is now devoting resources for directed energy.