The undated image shows the U.S. Navy testing a weapon system known as HELIOS from the USS Preble destroyer in the middle of the ocean.

In the video after the break you can see how the lights and sounds serve as a warning system for the laser itself, as the cannon can be seen “charging up” for a few seconds before emitting a beam.

A laser weapon firing a continuous beam. Doesn't require ammunition, but will need heat sink replaced if it overheats. What the LAS-98 Laser Cannon lacks in heavy-hitting firepower, it makes up ...

"The future is here," the U.S. Office of Naval Research's Peter Morrison said Monday, as the Navy unveiled a solid-state laser cannon that can disable or destroy surveillance drones and small ...