{"id":30815,"date":"2026-05-21T18:51:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T18:51:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T17:14:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T17:14:38","slug":"the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/","title":{"rendered":"The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor\u2019s note: This story originally appeared on Laser Wars, a newsletter about military laser weapons and other futuristic defense technology. <\/i>Subscribe here<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operation Epic Fury may have strengthened the case for directed energy weapons, but the U.S. Navy\u2019s dream of putting \u201ca laser on every ship<\/a>\u201d may take significantly longer than expected to realize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a posture statement<\/a> delivered to the House Armed Services Committee on May 14, Chief of Naval Operations (and noted directed energy champion<\/a>) Adm. Daryl Caudle delivered a forceful argument for why high-energy laser weapons<\/a> are a necessity for the sea service \u2014 namely, to take over missile defense from kinetic interceptors and free up space for offensive weapons across the Navy\u2019s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which he proclaimed \u201cthe workhorse of the surface Fleet, as illustrated clearly by Operation Epic Fury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDirected energy<\/a> is a critical component of future naval warfare, particularly for ballistic missile and terminal defense<\/a>,\u201d Caudle stated. \u201cThe current paradigm, which forces a trade-off between defensive interceptors and offensive strike weapons within the limited space of the Vertical Launching System (VLS), is unsustainable. Every VLS cell used for a defensive missile is a lost opportunity for a long-range offensive strike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Caudle\u2019s testimony also contained an admission that the dream of a laser fleet remains a dream deferred \u2014 at least, until the Navy can actually build it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vision of a laser fleet Caudle laid out in his posture statement is anchored in the Navy\u2019s proposed nuclear-powered<\/a> battleship and future surface combatants, platforms that must be \u201cdesigned with the power and cooling capacity necessary to scale these systems to very high energy levels, thereby providing lethality against exquisite threats.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To translate those designs into real-world capabilities, the service \u201cmust prioritize and fund R&D for compact, high-density energy storage and thermal management systems capable of handling the demands of [directed energy weapons],\u201d he said, as well invest in \u201cdigital engineering and land-based test facilities to de-risk the complex integration of DEW systems with legacy combat and ship control systems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The structural reason for Caudle\u2019s emphasis on future warships is one Laser Wars readers will recognize immediately: the Navy\u2019s current surface fleet \u2014 including its most modern warships, the Flight III Burke-class destroyers \u2014 simply cannot support the power demands of laser weapons at scale. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the service\u2019s then-surface warfare boss Rear Adm. Ron Boxall bluntly put it<\/a> back in 2019, the Flight III Burkes are already \u201cout of Schlitz with regard to power,\u201d their generators fully committed to feeding the new AN\/SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caudle isn\u2019t pretending a viable laser weapon for missile defense can be engineered around existing hulls; they must be built into the next generation of warships from the keel up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The implication is stark: the first vessel in America\u2019s true laser fleet won\u2019t set sail until the first battleship or next-generation frigate steams out of a shipyard. Battleship procurement isn\u2019t planned until 2028, with delivery to the fleet projected for the 2030s, if at all<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Navy may see directed energy as a critical capability, but don\u2019t expect it to show up on any active warships outside of its existing Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN)-equipped fleet<\/a> anytime soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of this makes Caudle\u2019s urgency any less real. Indeed, Epic Fury offers the most vivid illustration yet of exactly why he feels it so acutely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider the Presidential Unit Citation recently awarded<\/a> to the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group. According to the citation, nine surface combatants \u2014 eight as part of Destroyer Squadron 2, plus the USS Winston S. Churchill \u2014 fired 207 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles at Iranian targets between February 28 and May 1. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The USS Gerald R. Ford returned to Naval Station Norfolk on May 16, 2026 after completing the longest post-Vietnam deployment for a carrier. (MCS2 Mike Shen\/U.S. Navy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Assuming all of these combatants were Arleigh Burke destroyers with 96 VLS cells apiece, that\u2019s a potential combined ceiling of roughly 864 cells, with those 207 Tomahawks representing roughly one offensive strike weapon for every four cells. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The citation makes clear where the rest of the magazine went: the strike group \u201cprotected vital sea lines of communication while under persistent threat from enemy missiles and one-way attack drones,\u201d meaning the remaining cells were loaded with (and presumably expending) the defensive interceptors required to keep the formation in the fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is Caudle\u2019s unsustainable paradigm in action: the destroyers that prosecuted one of the most significant U.S. naval combat operations since World War II potentially went into the fight with roughly three-quarters of their magazine committed to self-defense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And once those interceptors are spent, they are not easily replaced. Unlike fuel or food, vertical launch weapons cannot be reliably transferred at sea under operational conditions. The Navy has been pursuing<\/a> an underway VLS reloading capability through its Transferrable Reload At-Sea Method (TRAM) program, but the system is not yet operationally fielded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The directed energy solution to this problem is, in theory, elegant: a laser weapon defending a warship at $10 per shot leaves every VLS cell free for Tomahawks for offensive strikes and SM-6s for remaining high-end threats, converting the destroyer from a platform split between offense and defense into one optimized for offensive power projection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery VLS cell used for a defensive missile is a lost opportunity,\u201d Caudle told lawmakers \u2014 and directed energy, as he envisions, eliminates the choice. The problem is that the ships capable of hosting those laser weapons at the power levels required haven\u2019t been built yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caudle\u2019s posture statement does offer something of a bridge between the Navy\u2019s current surface combatants and the laser fleet of the future: the Containerized Capability Campaign (C\u00b3), an initiative he describes as enabling \u201cmissiles, unmanned systems, sensors, electronic warfare packages, and directed energy\u201d to be deployed across \u201ca wide range of platforms and shore sites\u201d without major structural redesigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caudle explicitly frames containerization as a workaround for the power and integration constraints that make bolting high-energy laser weapons onto existing warships so difficult. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It \u201cdecouples payloads from platforms,\u201d as he puts it, allowing the Navy to \u201cadapt capability faster than traditional acquisition timelines\u201d and deliver combat power \u201cat the speed of relevance \u2014 not the speed of platform-centric acquisition.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caudle had previously made<\/a> the vision concrete at the McAleese Defense Programs conference in Arlington, Virginia in March: \u201cFrom towed array sensors to drone swarms to electronic attack systems to high-powered lasers, I want to containerize everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is evidence to support this approach. In October 2025, the Navy conducted<\/a> a successful live-fire test of the palletized 30 kW LOCUST Laser Weapon System from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, demonstrating that a containerized laser could draw cleanly from a carrier\u2019s nuclear reactors without the issue that plagues the Burke fleet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lockheed Martin, meanwhile, is developing<\/a> a containerized version of the service\u2019s lone 60 kW High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS)<\/a> system currently installed aboard the destroyer USS Preble specifically so the system can be seamlessly transferred across vessels in maintenance rather than sitting idle pierside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Navy\u2019s fiscal year 2027 budget request also supports the \u201cdevelopment, integration and marinization\u201d of the U.S. Army\u2019s Enduring High Energy Laser (E-HEL)<\/a> systems for potential shipboard applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most significant containerized effort reaches considerably higher up the power curve. The Joint Laser Weapon System (JLWS)<\/a> \u2014 the collaboration between the Army and Navy whose existence Laser Wars first reported <\/a>in June 2025 \u2014 is designed from the outset as a containerized system, initially aiming for 150 kW with potential to scale to at least 300 kWs specifically for cruise missile defense, according to the Navy\u2019s fiscal year 2027 budget request. The system will also include a Joint Beam Control System capable of supporting a 300-500 kW weapon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, the Army and Navy have outlined<\/a> a vision of $675.93 million in combined R&D spending through fiscal year 2031, with the Navy planning to award the first JBCS development contracts as soon as the fourth quarter of 2026. If JLWS delivers on its promise, it would represent a containerized laser weapon powerful enough to engage the missile threats that sit at the heart of Caudle\u2019s VLS argument without requiring a keel-up redesign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Caudle\u2019s testimony describes, then, are two directed energy tracks running in parallel \u2014 with a third, more tentative one emerging between them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One narrative is near-term and modest: containerized, lower-power systems like LOCUST and even HELIOS, deployable across the surface fleet now and effective against the ever-expanding drone threat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second is transformational and distant: megawatt-class systems embedded in the hull of a battleship that won\u2019t reach the fleet for close to a decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The JLWS represents an attempt to thread the needle between them with a containerized missile defense capability that could arrive before the battleship does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Caudle and his fellow Navy leaders, Epic Fury may have crystallized a need for a laser fleet that matches their ambition for one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time will tell if they can actually build it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Operation Epic Fury may have strengthened the case for laser weapons, but the U.S. Navy\u2019s dream of putting one on every ship may take longer than expected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":111253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":7,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[7,29],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3398],"class_list":["post-30815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-battlefield-tech","category-home"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"KMRLUMDCB5HW3APKTKJWYHG2SE","arc_canonical_url":"\/industry\/techwatch\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\nThe US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet - C4ISRNet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Operation Epic Fury may have strengthened the case for laser weapons, but the U.S. Navy\u2019s dream of putting one on every ship may take longer than expected.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Operation Epic Fury may have strengthened the case for laser weapons, but the U.S. Navy\u2019s dream of putting one on every ship may take longer than expected.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"C4ISRNet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-21T18:51:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T17:14:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jared Keller\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Jared Keller\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t \"@graph\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/#article\",\n\t \"isPartOf\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/\"\n\t },\n\t \"author\": {\n\t \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t },\n\t \"headline\": \"The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet\",\n\t \"datePublished\": \"2026-05-21T18:51:44+00:00\",\n\t \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T17:14:38+00:00\",\n\t \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/\"\n\t },\n\t \"wordCount\": 1525,\n\t \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t \"publisher\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#organization\"\n\t },\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t },\n\t \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/9626960.jpg.jpg\",\n\t \"articleSection\": [\n\t \"Battlefield Tech\",\n\t \"Home\"\n\t ],\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t \"target\": [\n\t \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/#respond\"\n\t ]\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/\",\n\t \"name\": \"The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet - C4ISRNet\",\n\t \"isPartOf\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#website\"\n\t },\n\t \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t },\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t },\n\t \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/9626960.jpg.jpg\",\n\t \"datePublished\": \"2026-05-21T18:51:44+00:00\",\n\t \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T17:14:38+00:00\",\n\t \"description\": \"Operation Epic Fury may have strengthened the case for laser weapons, but the U.S. Navy\u2019s dream of putting one on every ship may take longer than expected.\",\n\t \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t },\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t \"target\": [\n\t \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/\"\n\t ]\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/9626960.jpg.jpg\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/9626960.jpg.jpg\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/21\\\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t \"itemListElement\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 1,\n\t \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/\",\n\t \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 2,\n\t \"name\": \"Battlefield Tech\",\n\t \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/battlefield-tech\\\/\",\n\t \"ad_zone\": \"battlefield-tech\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t \"position\": 3,\n\t \"name\": \"The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet\"\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#website\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/\",\n\t \"name\": \"C4ISRNet\",\n\t \"description\": \"Media for the Intelligence-Age Military | C4ISRNET\",\n\t \"publisher\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#organization\"\n\t },\n\t \"potentialAction\": [\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t \"target\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t },\n\t \"query-input\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t }\n\t }\n\t ],\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#organization\",\n\t \"name\": \"C4ISRNet\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/\",\n\t \"logo\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/c4isrnet-logo-white.png\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/c4isrnet-logo-white.png\",\n\t \"caption\": \"C4ISRNet\"\n\t },\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t }\n\t },\n\t {\n\t \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t \"image\": {\n\t \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t },\n\t \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t }\n\t ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet - C4ISRNet","description":"Operation Epic Fury may have strengthened the case for laser weapons, but the U.S. Navy\u2019s dream of putting one on every ship may take longer than expected.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet","og_description":"Operation Epic Fury may have strengthened the case for laser weapons, but the U.S. Navy\u2019s dream of putting one on every ship may take longer than expected.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/","og_site_name":"C4ISRNet","article_published_time":"2026-05-21T18:51:44+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T17:14:38+00:00","author":"Jared Keller","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Jared Keller","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet","datePublished":"2026-05-21T18:51:44+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T17:14:38+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/"},"wordCount":1525,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9626960.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Battlefield Tech","Home"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/","name":"The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet - C4ISRNet","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9626960.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2026-05-21T18:51:44+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T17:14:38+00:00","description":"Operation Epic Fury may have strengthened the case for laser weapons, but the U.S. Navy\u2019s dream of putting one on every ship may take longer than expected.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9626960.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9626960.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/2026\/05\/21\/the-us-navy-is-full-speed-ahead-on-building-a-laser-fleet\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Battlefield Tech","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/battlefield-tech\/","ad_zone":"battlefield-tech"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The US Navy is full speed ahead on building a laser fleet"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/","name":"C4ISRNet","description":"Media for the Intelligence-Age Military | C4ISRNET","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#organization","name":"C4ISRNet","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c4isrnet-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c4isrnet-logo-white.png","caption":"C4ISRNet"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"C4ISRNet","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/9626960.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30815"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30815\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30816,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30815\/revisions\/30816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30815"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=30815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}