Mysterious Laser Installed On Navy Destroyer

Mysterious Laser Installed On Navy Destroyer

Laser System Navy

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A recent picture taken of the American Navy’s Burke class Destroyer ship, the USS Dewey, shows a suspicious laser-like turret installed on the front of the ship. On most Burke class destroyers, that area is often left empty. The ship is often used for testing new weapon systems such as Hyper-Velocity Projectiles, and the temporary installed Laser Weapon System. However, what’s installed on the ship seems much more permanent.

The installation may possibly be Lockheed Martin’s HELIOS laser system since it too is intended to be installed in the same place. However, the HELIOS laser system is still some time away from being officially introduced to operations, so it is most likely not that. Others have also considered the installation to be the Ruggedized High Energy Laser (RHEL), but that too is scheduled to be operational much later.

The U.S. Navy has a few other onboard laser programs underway. Just last month, Northrop Grumman has shipped the Solid-State Laser Technology Maturation (SSL-TM) to San Diego, where the picture of the USS Dewey was taken, to be installed onto an amphibious transport dock for trials. 

According to Thedrive.com’s analysis, they believe that the installed system is most likely the Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) system. The ODIN system was set to be installed on a Navy destroyer sometime by the end of 2019.

The ODIN system is a lower power laser system that is used to blind enemy sensors by shining a laser beam at them. Directed Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) systems use the same methods to defend aircraft from heat seeking missiles. ODIN should be able to counter anti-ship missiles fired from aircraft and ships.

Over the past few years, anti-ship missiles have been relying more and more on passive infrared guidance to target naval vessels. This makes lower energy laser systems such as ODIN an incredibly useful asset to the Navy, blinding incoming missiles and making them miss their targets.

The United States Navy has been keen on fielding the ODIN system as soon as possible. There are two systems scheduled to be installed on destroyers by the end of 2019, with six more in the process of being fielded by the end of 2020.