The Marine Corps is actively testing a new laser weapon that can be mounted on a Humvee, called the Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy On-the-Move Program (GBAD), which could be used to shoot down low-flying enemy drones and other aircraft.
“Raytheon is paving the way for fielded directed energy weapon systems in the very near future with the demonstration of a Marine Humvee-based high energy laser, said Bill Hart, vice president of Raytheon Space Systems.
Col. William Zamagni, acting head of the Office of Naval Research’s Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department, said in a statement, “GBAD gives the Marine Corps a capability to counter the UAV threat efficiently, sustainably and organically with austere expeditionary forces.”
The Navy was the first to begin researching the potential for laser use against small boats, and the Marines are following suit with the rapid development of unmanned aircraft technology.
Eventually, missiles will become a thing of the past and lasers traveling at the speed of light will be used by military forces across the world.
Check out the Navy’s laser weapon system that the Marines are hoping to mimic:
