WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy has put its first laser-equipped destroyer to sea. In a news release dated Feb. 20, Sea Systems Command says the Optical Dazzling Interdictor Navy, or ODIN, is designed to help ships counter enemy surveillance drones.<br /><br />Citing the command, Military.com reports the ODIN was installed on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Dewey in November. An image published by the Drive shows that the laser dazzler appears to be mounted in a turret atop the deckhouse."<br /><br />ODIN's predecessor — the Laser Weapons System — is a 30 kilowatt laser that had been tested but never operationally fielded.<br /><br />Military.com reports that Iranian drones had shadowed the carrier George H.W. Bush in the Persian Gulf and the laser will stymy hostile drones' attempt to gather intelligence on U.S. warships.<br /><br />The outlet reports that ODIN is only one of the laser weapons planned by the service. Another weapon, a 60 to 150 kW laser which has a range of five nautical miles will likely be installed on another destroyer by 2021.
