U.S. Navy releases images of laser weapon test in the Mideast as drone boat threat looms

The U.S. Navy announced Wednesday it tested a laser weapon and destroyed a floating target in the Mideast, a system that could be used to counter bomb-laden drone boats deployed by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. The Navy released images of the test on Twitter, with the caption: "Bring Out THE LASERS."

The test Tuesday saw the USS Portland test-fire its Laser Weapon System Demonstrator at the target in the Gulf of Aden, the body of water separating East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula.

The Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet described the laser as having "successfully engaged" the target in a statement. Previously, the Portland used the laser to bring down a flying drone in May 2020.