U.S. Navy Deploys Xbox-Controlled Laser Weapons To Counter Drones And Missiles In Strait Of Hormuz

The US military has deployed high-energy laser weapons on warships in the Strait of Hormuz and has used them against drones and other aerial threats, according to reports cited in the source material.

The weapons are operated with modified Xbox-style controllers. The familiar controls can make it easier for sailors to learn how to use the system, as many are already used to the basic layout of a gaming controller.

A similar system was tested on the USS George H.W. Bush, where it tracked and engaged several drones.

The system being used in West Asia is known as High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance, or HELIOS. It uses a 60-kilowatt laser and is mounted on large warships because of its size and weight.

Cost is one of the main reasons the US military is interested in laser weapons.

A single laser engagement costs about $13 in electricity, according to the supplied reports. An anti-aircraft missile can cost anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars.

A laser also does not need a new missile for every target. It uses electricity to produce a beam that can be aimed at the threat.

As long as the ship has enough power and the system is working, it can continue to engage suitable targets without using up missiles or other ammunition.

US destroyers get their power from turbine engines, while US supercarriers use nuclear reactors. The laser still has limits. It needs to stay focused on a target for several seconds before it can cause enough damage.

The weapon gets its power from generators or battery packs. That power is turned into photons and focused into a narrow beam.

The beam heats the part of the target it hits. With enough heat, the targeted part can melt or be destroyed. The laser cannot normally be seen with the naked eye because it is reportedly visible only under infrared light.

Operators can also aim at particular parts of a drone, such as its sensors. The beam has to remain on the target for several seconds. This is known as “dwell time”.

So, the operator has to keep tracking the drone while the laser stays focused on the same point.

The gaming-style controller is meant to make the system easier to operate.

Many service members are already familiar with this type of control layout. That can reduce the amount of time needed to learn the basic controls.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth demonstrated the system in June at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The supplied reports say he used a controller to shoot down a drone after a short training session.

There are still some details that have not been made public. The source material does not say whether the controllers used on the warships are wired or wireless. It also does not say whether they are standard commercial controllers or specially made military versions.

The use of gaming controllers is not completely new in military or other critical systems. The Titan submersible used a Logitech F710 controller as its main control interface. However, the supplied material says the suspected cause of the Titan accident was linked to the vessel’s design and construction, rather than simply the controller.

Before the current deployment, a similar system was tested aboard the USS George H.W. Bush. During those tests, the system tracked, engaged and neutralised several target drones.

The deployment in the Strait of Hormuz is described in the supplied material as one of the first cases of an anti-drone laser being used in an active conflict area after being tested on a US warship.

The US has been working on directed-energy weapons for about five decades.

The US Army has also awarded a contract worth roughly $500 million to build war-ready laser systems, according to the supplied reports.

The technology is also being used or tested in other places.

Along the US southern border, the Joint Task Force Southern Border reportedly used similar laser systems against drones operated by Mexican drug cartels. At least 11 drones were reportedly brought down.

Ukraine has been testing AI-guided lasers against Shahed suicide drones in mid-2026. The Royal Navy is also installing a similar system on its destroyers and expects it to be operational by next year.

References: cnbctv18, freepressjournal