Washington: USS Dewey Destroyer, a part of the US scheme of preparations in the Indo-Pacific sector, has been equipped with a super-advanced laser system. The US Navy announced that the drone interceptor, Optical Dazzling Interdictor (ODIN) laser system had been deployed on this destroyer. By installing this laser on a ship patrolling in the East China Sea, the United States seems to have delivered a message to China.
The US company Northrop Grumman has manufactured this laser system. As per the information given by the US navy, ODIN is exclusively a drone destroying system, and it cannot be used as a weapon. The laser can destroy or render a drone useless. But this system cannot be used against the enemy fighter jets or destroyers.
The laser system was installed on USS Dewey during its dry docking, last week. The laser system was being tested, since the last few months, in the presence of the officials from the US navy and the Northrop Grumman company. Therefore, the US navy informed that the laser system installed on the destroyer is fully functional. This makes USS Dewey, one more destroyer in the US navy to have a laser system.
Currently, the US navy is equipped with the Laser Gatling Gun, Phalanx. These laser guns deployed on the destroyers at Honolulu in the Pacific Ocean are used for destroying missiles and drones. There is a limitation on the firepower of these guns, and they cannot carry out continuous attacks. At the same time, the capabilities of the Phalanx fall short when it comes to destroying hypersonic missiles.
Moreover, the United States has started moves to equip its destroyers with Helios laser systems. Last year, in June, the super-advanced Helios laser system was developed on the US warship, USS Preble. The Helios laser, super-advanced as compared to the Phalanx, can fire a laser of 150 Kilowatts. It is said that Helios laser can launch attacks like never before.
USS Preble equipped with the Helios laser would be operational in the US navy by the end of this year. But the United States has increased laser deployment in its navy by equipping USS Dewey with the ODIN laser system. The United States has already started moves to deploy drone destroyer laser systems on military vehicles. This is a part of the aggressive military policies adopted by President Donald Trump to equip the US defence forces with laser and artificial intelligence given the challenges posed by China and Russia.
Meanwhile, USS Dewey is deployed in the East China Sea. In this scenario, the deployment of the laser on the concerned destroyer seems to be a warning for China, patrolling the same sector.
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