American HELIOS combat laser passes tests

Demonstration of the operating principle of the HELIOS complex. Lockheed Martin graphics
Over the past few years, the US Navy has been conducting combat and operational tests of the HELIOS advanced combat laser. It was recently reported that this product successfully passed all tests and confirmed the calculated tactical and technical characteristics. In the foreseeable future, the Pentagon may launch serial production of such systems and begin their deployment on carrier ships.
From order to prototype
The US Navy has long been interested in the topic of combat lasers and has managed to conduct several programs in this area. Thus, in the mid-2010s, they launched the Surface Navy Laser Weapon System project. fleet"). Several commercial companies with experience in laser development applied to participate in this program.
In January 2018, the Navy summed up the results of the competitive part of the program and awarded a contract for further work to Lockheed Martin. Its project received its own designation HELIOS, or High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance.
It took less than two years to complete the project and manufacture the HELIOS prototype. In 2019, it was sent for factory testing, and the following year it was handed over to the customer. At this stage, the tests were carried out on land-based testing grounds using a special stand simulating the necessary structures and systems of the carrier ship.

The deployment of a laser weapon station on an Arleigh Burke-class ship. Graphic by Lockheed Martin
The first stages of testing and evaluation of Helios were completed in 2020. The combat laser confirmed the calculated characteristics and demonstrated the fundamental possibility of hitting typical targets. After that, the Navy decided to begin preparations for the next stage of testing.
Laser on the ship
In 2020-21, the combat laser was mounted on a carrier ship. The test ship was the combat destroyer USS Preble (DDG-88) of the Arleigh Burke Flight IIA project. The Navy did not specify the reason for choosing this ship. Probably, this choice was related to the schedule for withdrawing the pennants for mid-life repairs.
The combat laser was placed in the forward part of the superstructure, on its protruding part. On other Arleigh Burke destroyers, various weapons and systems are placed in this place. This arrangement allows the HELIOS laser to cover almost the entire forward hemisphere of the carrier ship, with the exception of small dead zones in front and on the sides. A control panel for the laser was installed on the bridge. To improve its combat qualities, it was integrated into the Aegis general ship combat information and control system.
Since 2021, there have been regular reports of tests of the Helios product on the carrier ship. All the details of these tests have not been disclosed, but it is known that general issues of laser use were worked out and “shooting” was carried out at various types of targets. In addition, alternative laser operating modes were tested.
In January 2025, the Defense Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) Office of the United States Department of Defense submitted a new annual report to Congress on projects under development and activities carried out. This document mentions the HELIOS project and its achievements in 2024 several times. It should be noted that the data from DOT&E is currently the most comprehensive among those available in the public domain.

"Fire" tests of the HELIOS product. Photo by the US Department of Defense
It is reported that during the tests, the new type of combat laser demonstrated a calculated radiation power of up to 60 kW. It is capable of confidently hitting various air and surface targets at distances of at least several kilometers. At reduced power, HELIOS is successfully used as an optical-electronic suppression device or as a rangefinder.
The standard fire control system and combat module with laser also demonstrated high performance. Working independently or using data from the Aegis combat information and control system, the FCS confidently tracked typical targets and aimed its weapon. Tracking was maintained at different speeds and during ship or target maneuvers, as well as in various weather conditions.
However, the open document does not provide the most important and interesting information. The operating modes of the combat laser, the required time of impact on a target of a particular type, as well as the actual ranges of destruction, including in different weather conditions, remain unknown. Moreover, information of this kind is unlikely to be published in the future.
Combat module
The HELIOS project offers a full-fledged combat module suitable for installation on various carrier ships. This product can be mounted in almost any part of the deck or superstructure, provided that the appropriate communications can be supplied. The complex also includes a control station placed on the ship's bridge next to the control posts for other weapons.
The combat module is built on the basis of a U-shaped support and rotary device, due to which horizontal and vertical guidance is carried out. Guidance angles depend on the design of the ship and the placement of the module. For example, in the case of the destroyer "Prable", the rear hemisphere is covered by the superstructure.
The support device has two swinging blocks with target equipment. The central block contains the laser itself and the main optical-electronic means. There is also an additional side block, the purpose of which is still unclear. When aiming, both blocks swing synchronously.
The Helios prototype is equipped with a 60 kW solid-state laser. Lockheed Martin says the system is modular and can be upgraded to 120 kW. A 300 kW laser is also being developed.
At maximum power, the experimental laser is capable of burning through plastic and metal structures and destroying the target. The range of confident destruction of an air or surface target depends on several factors, such as its design features, weather conditions, etc. More powerful modifications of the HELIOS product are expected to demonstrate a higher range and/or speed of target destruction.
The control system of the complex has all the necessary means for receiving data, monitoring the surrounding space and controlling fire. An important feature of the Helios is the ability to integrate with existing or future combat information and control systems of ships.

View from another angle. Photo by US Department of Defense
The integration of the FCS and BIOS provides obvious advantages. It allows for the simplification of the laser complex control system without losing combat capabilities. In addition, the combat laser gains access to data from more effective detection tools. Thanks to this, the HELIOS operator can fully monitor the surrounding environment and learn about threats long before they enter the kill zone.
Unclear future
To date, the US military industry has developed several laser weapons for the Navy. A number of such products, including HELIOS, have undergone testing and trial operation in recent years. As a result, the new weapon has received good reviews and assessments. It has been reported that such systems may soon be adopted for service and that they will begin to be deployed on combat pennants.
It is still unknown how soon the actual production of combat lasers and their mass installation on US Navy warships will begin. In addition, the prospects of each of the developed and tested models are questionable. Perhaps the new HELIOS complex will be chosen for full-scale operation, but it has alternatives that also have every chance of success.
Information