The development of the HELIOS system began in 2018 with a $150 million contract with Lockheed Martin. The system underwent crucial tests in 2020, and its integration on the USS Preble began in 2021.

USS Preble is the service’s first destroyer to be equipped with the HELIOS 60-kilowatt directed energy laser system. A stunning image from earlier this month depicting the U.S. Navy’s High ...