The Office of Naval Research (ONR) expects future enemies of America to rely on drones, but it’s not worried: Ground-based laser weapons that can easily destroy unmanned aerial vehicles are in development.
Pentagon officials discussed the new weapons in a press release titled: “Bad News for the Bad Guys: Laser Weapon Being Readied for Marine Vehicles.” The laser weapons will be created as part of the Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy On-the-Move program (GBAD).
“We’re confident we can bring together all of these pieces in a package that’s small enough to be carried on light tactical vehicles and powerful enough to counter these threats,” said Brig. Gen. Kevin Killea, vice chief of naval research and commanding general, the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory,” ONR reported June 11.
“GBAD gives the Marine Corps a capability to counter the UAV threat efficiently, sustainably and organically with austere expeditionary forces,” Col. William Zamagni, acting head of ONR’s Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department, told ONR. “GBAD employed in a counter UAV role is just the beginning of its use and opens myriad other possibilities for future expeditionary forces.”
Other upcoming Pentagon weaponry releases will include a 40mm grenade launcher, the Magpul Folding Machine-Gun-9, and a military ground vehicle that can be converted to fly as a helicopter, the Telegraph reported Monday.
SEE ALSO: Drones from the deep: Pentagon develops ocean-floor attack robots
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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