At only 59 cents a shot this will be far more economical than missiles. A missile is about 2m a shot. The laser can be run on low power to disrupt or damage instruments or high to destroy.The US navy has demonstrated a ship-mounted laser weapon system in the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Iran, capable of destroying targets on speeding boats or even aircraft with pin-point accuracy, it told reporters Wednesday.
Lasers are no longer science-fiction: Watch the US Navy blow up stuff with a 30-kilowatt weapon
This isn't a test, they are finished with testing it is fully operational. The video in the article was just a demonstration of what it can do. The next step is to make them more powerful so they can destroy a large ship.
I wonder why they are banned for use on humans. Can't be no worse than hitting them with a missile. Also if you are taking out a ship there will be people on board.
Thougths?