US Navy estimates first shipboard laser program cost
By The BriefBrief
The US Navy estimates that the first real shipboard laser program would cost about $1 billion before any destroyer is fitted with one. While laser shots are cheap and have no magazine, the main technical constraint is the ship power needed for a beam on the order of 100 kilowatts.
WHO:US Navy
WHAT:Estimated cost for the first real shipboard laser program before fitting a destroyer with a laser
WHEN:Reported Sep 10, 2026 at 11:18 AM ET
WHERE:USA
WHY:The Navy is pursuing directed-energy lasers, but the program’s feasibility is constrained by the power required to generate a high-power beam on a ship not designed for weapons.
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