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Navy Lasers, Railguns, and Hypervelocity Projectiles: Advancements in U.S. Naval Weaponry

U.S. Navy Lasers, Railguns, and Hypervelocity Projectiles: 2026 Status and Challenges

The landscape of naval warfare is undergoing a profound transformation as the United States Navy pushes the boundaries of technology to maintain superiority in an increasingly contested maritime environment. Three key systems—shipboard lasers, electromagnetic railguns, and hypervelocity projectiles—represent the forefront of this evolution, offering capabilities that could redefine ship defense and offensive operations. These weapons, once confined to research labs and test ranges, are now transitioning toward operational deployment, driven by the need to counter emerging threats like drone swarms, hypersonic missiles, and advanced anti-ship cruise missiles. Drawing from congressional reports, recent tests, and industry developments, this examination highlights their backgrounds, current statuses, advantages, challenges, and implications for future naval strategies.

Shipboard lasers, classified as directed energy weapons, utilize concentrated beams of light to disable or destroy targets at the speed of light. The Navy’s focus on solid-state lasers stems from their electrical efficiency, compactness, and potential for integration into existing ship systems. Unlike traditional kinetic weapons, lasers draw power from the ship’s generators, providing an effectively unlimited magazine as long as fuel and cooling are available. The High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system, developed by Lockheed Martin, exemplifies this technology. Installed on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Preble in 2022, HELIOS delivers a 60-kilowatt beam capable of neutralizing small boats, drones, and potentially cruise missiles. In a significant milestone last year, the system successfully engaged and destroyed four unmanned aerial vehicles during an at-sea counter-UAS exercise, demonstrating its viability in real-world conditions. This test, part of expanding evaluations, underscores the laser’s precision and rapid response, with engagement times measured in seconds.

Complementing HELIOS is the Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) system, a lower-power laser designed to blind or disrupt enemy sensors and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets. Deployed on eight Arleigh Burke-class destroyers by 2026, ODIN provides a non-lethal option for degrading threats without physical destruction, enhancing layered defense strategies. The Navy is also advancing the High Energy Laser Counter-ASCM Program (HELCAP), aiming for 300+ kilowatt systems to counter anti-ship cruise missiles. This initiative builds on the Surface Navy Laser Weapon System (SNLWS) framework, with Increment 1 being HELIOS and future increments targeting higher powers for head-on engagements. In June 2025, the Navy initiated the SONGBOW project, a $29.9 million effort to develop a 400-kilowatt laser by combining multiple 50-kilowatt emitters, targeting complex threats like hypersonic glide vehicles.

The advantages of these lasers are compelling: low cost per shot (less than $1), instantaneous engagement, and the ability to handle maneuvering targets with pinpoint accuracy. They enable graduated responses, from dazzling to destruction, and reduce reliance on expensive missiles, preserving limited inventories for high-value threats. However, limitations persist. Lasers require line-of-sight, are affected by atmospheric conditions like fog or rain, and can only engage one target at a time, making them vulnerable to saturation attacks. Thermal blooming—where the beam heats the air and defocuses itself—poses challenges for sustained high-power operations, and countermeasures like reflective coatings or obscurants could mitigate effectiveness. Despite these hurdles, Navy leaders, including the Chief of Naval Operations, envision a “laser on every ship,” with plans to proliferate systems across the fleet to counter close-in threats as the preferred option.

Shifting to kinetic energy weapons, the electromagnetic railgun (EMRG) uses powerful magnetic fields to accelerate projectiles to hypersonic speeds, up to Mach 7, without explosives. Development began in 2005, with prototypes from General Atomics and BAE Systems achieving 32 megajoules of muzzle energy and ranges exceeding 100 nautical miles. Initially intended for naval surface fire support, the railgun’s role expanded to air and missile defense due to its precision and velocity. However, the program was paused in 2021 amid fiscal constraints, integration challenges, and competing priorities like hypersonic weapons. Barrel wear, requiring replacement after fewer than 30 shots, and massive power demands—necessitating integrated propulsion systems like those on Zumwalt-class destroyers—were key obstacles.

Recent developments suggest a potential revival. In October 2025, General Atomics pitched railgun technologies for terminal air and missile defense under the Golden Dome initiative to protect Guam, claiming resolutions to barrel wear and other issues through internal R&D. President Trump’s December 2025 announcement of the “Trump-class” guided missile battleships, each potentially armed with railguns, has reignited interest, though timelines for the first ships in two-and-a-half years raise feasibility questions. Internationally, Japan successfully tested a shipboard railgun in 2023, firing 120 shots without failure, leveraging U.S. research while addressing integration challenges more effectively. The railgun’s advantages include low-cost projectiles ($25,000 each versus millions for missiles), extended range, and kinetic impact capable of penetrating hardened targets. Yet, sustainment issues, slow rate of fire (initially below 10 rounds per minute), and power requirements limit its viability without further advancements.

The gun-launched guided projectile (GLGP), also known as the hypervelocity projectile (HVP), bridges traditional and advanced weaponry. Originally developed for the railgun, the HVP is a 23-pound guided munition adaptable to existing 5-inch Mk 45 naval guns, 155mm Army howitzers, and potential railgun systems. It achieves Mach 3 from conventional guns and Mach 5+ from railguns, with a unit cost of about $85,000—far cheaper than standard missiles. The Navy shifted focus to powder guns for faster fielding, testing 20 HVPs from USS Dewey during RIMPAC 2018.

As of 2026, development continues under BAE Systems for Mk 45 integration as a counter-UAS option, with Army efforts revamping the program for the Cannon-Based Air Defense initiative. The Army seeks $150 million in FY2026 R&D, up from $30 million, aiming for a battery ready by 2029. The Navy integrates HVP with the Mark 160 fire control system, achieving integration in under six months. Advantages include multi-mission capability (NSFS, ASuW, air defense), deep magazines (hundreds of rounds), and favorable cost exchanges against threats. Challenges involve combat system integration, sensor upgrades, and ensuring guidance accuracy at hypersonic speeds.

Funding reflects priorities: The Navy’s FY2026 request emphasizes laser proliferation, with reductions for paused programs like railgun but increases for HVP adaptations. Legislative activity in FY2025 and FY2026 supports directed energy, with Congress directing reports on integration paths and semiannual updates. Issues for Congress include development pace amid enemy advancements, transition to procurement, ship design accommodations (space, power, cooling), and funding visibility.

Geopolitically, these weapons counter China’s hypersonic capabilities and drone swarms, with U.S. allies like Japan advancing similar tech. The proposed Trump-class battleships could incorporate 300-600 kW lasers and railguns, though experts question timelines and costs. Ethical concerns, such as blinding protocols and arms race escalation, warrant attention.

While lasers lead with operational tests, railguns and HVPs offer complementary kinetic options. Overcoming technical barriers will determine their impact, potentially shifting naval warfare toward energy-based dominance.

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