US Navy Test Fires Lasers in Gulf of Aden

(UnitedVoice.com) – In 2017, Houthi rebels began using drone boats to attack targets in the sea. The attacks by unmanned, remote-controlled floating weapons have become more common. However, the US military recently tested a weapon that could neutralize the threat.

On Wednesday, December 15, the US Navy announced it tested a laser weapon the day before. The USS Portland destroyed a floating target in the Gulf of Aden, the sea that separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa.

Bring out THE LASERS 💥 #USSPortland conducted a high-energy #laser weapon system demonstration on a static surface training target, Dec. 14, while sailing in the Gulf of Aden. #NavyCapability pic.twitter.com/AasAmjDDV1

— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) December 15, 2021

The southern coast of Yemen is also on the body of water. Iranian-backed Houthis have seized part of the region and have been involved in a brutal war with Saudi Arabia and Yemen for years. The rebels deploy the drone boats to attack their adversaries in the waters around the region.

The test of the laser weapon wasn’t the first time the military has used it. In 2020, they used the laser to destroy an airborne drone. On Tuesday, the Navy also opened a $23-million facility in California to test the new weapons. Vance Brahosky, of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, told the Times of San Diego the “speed of warfare” is increasing rapidly and these types of laser weapons could give the US military the upper hand.