The US Navy released a new photo of USS Preble (DDG-88) firing her HELIOS laser

[Zaphod58]

U.S. Defense budget:

From AI:

"What are the US defense budget priorities?

• Countering China's military presence in the Indo-Pacific
  
• Deterring strategic attacks against the US and allies
  
• Defending against evolving threats like cyberattacks
  
• Addressing aggression from Russia, Iran, and North Korea"
  

So when do all US military leave the South China Sea?

So when does China stop bullying our allies and trying to take their territory? Oh wait, if we leave the area they will suddenly become peaceful, right?

[quintessentone]

So when does China stop bullying our allies and trying to take their territory? Oh wait, if we leave the area they will suddenly become peaceful, right?

What happened to Trump's and the American people's isolationist desires, isn't this what the people want?

With Trump's tariff trade wars expansion, your country won't have many allies left.

[Zaphod58]

What happened to Trump's and the American people's isolationist desires, isn't this what the people want?

With Trump's tariff trade wars expansion, your country won't have many allies left.

Every time the US has gone isolationist a war has broken out. Care to try for another one?

[quintessentone]

Every time the US has gone isolationist a war has broken out. Care to try for another one?

Care to answer my question? Don't the American people want peace and isolation?

[Zaphod58]

Care to answer my question? Don't the American people want peace and isolation?

Peace yes, isolation no.

[putnam6]

U.S. Defense budget:

From AI:

"What are the US defense budget priorities?

• Countering China's military presence in the Indo-Pacific
  
• Deterring strategic attacks against the US and allies
  
• Defending against evolving threats like cyberattacks
  
• Addressing aggression from Russia, Iran, and North Korea"
  

So when do all US military leave the South China Sea?

Yeah, perhaps China ought to develop lab-grown protein like it does lab-grown viruses. LOOK at China's allocation LOL and people got pissy when Trump renamed it Gulf of America



heres what AI says...

The South China Sea disputes involve competing territorial claims between several countries over waters and islands in the South China Sea. The main elements include:
China claims the largest portion through its "nine-dash line" covering about 90% of the sea, overlapping with claims from Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.
The area contains valuable fishing grounds, potential oil and gas reserves, and critical shipping lanes that carry trillions in global trade annually.
Key disputed areas include the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands, Scarborough Shoal, and various reefs and shoals. China has built artificial islands with military facilities on some features.
The Philippines won a 2016 ruling at the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidating China's expansive claims, but China rejected this ruling and continues its activities in the region.
The United States, while not making territorial claims, conducts "freedom of navigation" operations to challenge what it views as excessive maritime claims and to maintain open access to international waters.
Tensions periodically escalate with confrontations between fishing vessels, coast guards, and naval forces in the disputed waters.

[quintessentone]

Not quite an arrow will lose forward momentum eventually while a laser 

They supposedly shot down a drone 

US Navy hits drone with HELIOS laser in successful test

I can't picture how the laser hits the drone. Is the drone larger than the beam so all of the destructive photons? are just on the drone and then it stops there, or was the drone smaller than the beam so as to have the beam "spill over" and continue on it's way to who knows where, or does the beam only have a specific length to travel? I can not visualize how this works in the pinpointing of one target, of any size.

What I am reading from the video below is that weather can cause the laser beam to scatter and weakening it. Also that what they have now does not have the power to take down missiles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53WtvxMUjTA

My questions are, how far do these scatterings go? How far does the beam go after striking it's target then going through the target? If they target a small boat and the beam destroys the boat's structure, does the beam go into the ocean to then perhaps kill ocean life?

[putnam6]

I can't picture how the laser hits the drone. Is the drone larger than the beam so all of the destructive photons? are just on the drone and then it stops there, or was the drone smaller than the beam so as to have the beam "spill over" and continue on it's way to who knows where, or does the beam only have a specific length to travel? I can not visualize how this works in the pinpointing of one target, of any size.

What I am reading from the video below is that weather can cause the laser beam to scatter and weakening it. Also that what they have now does not have the power to take down missiles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53WtvxMUjTA

My questions are, how far do these scatterings go? How far does the beam go after striking it's target then going through the target? If they target a small boat and the beam destroys the boat's structure, does the beam go into the ocean to then perhaps kill ocean life?

All good questions I know you enjoy AI when searching for facts let's see what Grok says and if you have another preferred AI add it here too.

As for the test target a drone they only used operating at a power level of 60+ kilowatts (kW), with plans to scale up to 120–150 kW or more in future iterations. One would assume scaling up would not be to difficult of an issue
Grok says 

The HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance) system, developed by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Navy, is a directed-energy weapon that operates by focusing a high-powered laser beam onto a target to neutralize it. Here's a breakdown of how it works based on available information:
The core of the HELIOS system is a solid-state fiber-optic laser, typically operating at a power level of 60+ kilowatts (kW), with plans to scale up to 120–150 kW or more in future iterations. This laser generates energy by amplifying light through bundles of optical fibers, where electrical energy pumps a medium (often doped with rare-earth elements like ytterbium) to emit photons. These photons are then spectrally combined into a single, coherent beam with high beam quality, meaning it remains tightly focused over distance.
The laser beam travels at the speed of light (approximately 300,000 kilometers per second) and is directed toward a target—such as a drone, small boat, or missile—using advanced targeting systems integrated with the ship’s Aegis Combat System. When the beam strikes the target, it delivers intense heat energy by focusing photons onto a small area. This can cause several effects depending on the mode of operation:

1. Hard Kill (Destruction): The concentrated energy rapidly heats the target’s surface, melting or burning through materials like metal or composites. For example, it can ignite a drone’s fuel, rupture its structure, or disable critical components, causing it to crash or explode. The system’s 60 kW power is sufficient to engage small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and fast-attack craft, with higher power levels (e.g., 150 kW) aimed at countering larger threats like anti-ship cruise missiles.
   
2. Soft Kill (Dazzling): In addition to destructive capability, HELIOS includes an optical dazzler—a lower-energy mode that emits a beam to overwhelm or blind the sensors (e.g., cameras or infrared detectors) on enemy drones, missiles, or reconnaissance systems. This disrupts their ability to navigate or track, rendering them ineffective without necessarily destroying them.
   

The system’s effectiveness relies on its integration with the ship’s surveillance and combat systems. HELIOS uses long-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to detect and track targets. Once a threat is identified, the Aegis system coordinates the laser’s aim, ensuring precision even against fast-moving objects. The beam’s "speed-of-light delivery" means there’s no delay between firing and impact, unlike traditional munitions, and its accuracy minimizes collateral damage.
A key advantage of HELIOS is its "deep magazine"—as long as the ship has power, the laser can keep firing without needing to reload ammunition. This contrasts with conventional missile defenses, which are limited by physical stockpiles and cost significantly more per shot. The laser’s low cost-per-kill (estimated at mere dollars compared to thousands for missiles) makes it ideal for countering inexpensive threats like drone swarms.
However, HELIOS has limitations. Its performance can be degraded by environmental factors such as fog, rain, or dust, which scatter or absorb the beam’s energy, reducing its range and intensity. The system also requires significant onboard power, though modern warships like the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (e.g., USS Preble) are equipped to handle this demand. The laser’s wavelength, likely in the infrared spectrum (invisible to the human eye), is chosen to optimize penetration through the atmosphere, but specific details remain classified.
In summary, HELIOS works by generating a high-energy laser beam through fiber-optic technology, directing it with precision via integrated combat systems, and using intense heat to either destroy targets or disable their sensors. Its scalability and cost-effectiveness mark a shift in naval defense, though challenges like weather and power management continue to shape its development.

[quintessentone]

Grok says 

The laser’s wavelength, likely in the infrared spectrum (invisible to the human eye), is chosen to optimize penetration through the atmosphere, but specific details remain classified.

Know why it is classified? Could be because the beam continues onwards and upwards or sideways or downwards after disintegrating it's target?

One youtube video I just watched showed how the laser beam is to be used from satellite to ground receiver, and the ending of the video the narrator stated that if the beam somehow misses the receiver then the outcome is that "your guess is as good as mine" then a burning forest was shown.

[putnam6]

Know why it is classified? Could be because the beam continues onwards and upwards or sideways or downwards after disintegrating it's target?

One youtube video I just watched showed how the laser beam is to be used from satellite to ground receiver, and the ending of the video the narrator stated that if the beam somehow misses the receiver then the outcome is that "your guess is as good as mine" then a burning forest was shown.

I don't think thats the case with the HELIOS laser, it's not a lightsaber, Luke.

To be lethal it has to focus on a tight area of the target thats my understanding.  It's disabled drones as far as 5 miles out but has to remain focused on a tight area for 10-15 seconds even then it doesn't melt the drone it renders their sensors useless

looking for citation.