In a historic first, the U.S. Navy fired its first laser weapon in an operational capacity aboard the USS Ponce. Carried out in the Persian Gulf, the trial tested the weapon’s efficiency on the field and its success has encouraged Navy officials to continue the project.

According to a press release, the laser weapon system (LaWS) was tested aboard the USS Ponce, an afloat forward staging base, in the Persian Gulf.

The Naval Research Laboratory, one of the agencies developing LaWS, praised the weapon’s success as well as its future efficacy in the release.

Sailors aboard the Ponce fired the 30-kilowatt laser at moving targets at sea and in the air, including a drone and a small boat. The release called the tests historic not only because the USS Ponce is the first Navy ship deployed with the weapon but “because LaWS operated seamlessly with existing ship defense systems.”

Aside from its success, LaWS can be easily operated, using only a video game-style controller to maneuver and fire, and it is cost efficient.

"At less than a dollar per shot, there's no question about the value LaWS provides," Rear Adm. Matthew L. Klunder, chief of naval research, said. "With affordability a serious concern for our defense budgets, this will more effectively manage resources to ensure our Sailors and Marines are never in a fair fight."

Though the weapon costs $40 million, it is reusable, compared to multi-million dollar missiles that are destroyed upon impact.

The prototype weapon endured “some extremely tough paces,” including high winds, heat and humidity. Sailors, however, reported “the system exceeded expectations for both reliability and maintainability.”

"We're not testing it any more. This is operational. It's on a ship in the Persian Gulf," Klunder said, according to Reuters. "This isn't something we've got in a box we're saving for ... a special moment. They're using it every single day."

LaWS's success has encouraged the Navy to continue working on laser weapons and, according to the Navy release, more laser prototypes could be installed on other warships by the 2020’s.

Reuters reports Klunder said in a press conference the Navy is developing a more powerful 100-150 kilowatt laser, expected to join a ship’s arsenal by 2017.

IHS Jane’s 360 International explained the weapon has been in development since 2009. On 2012, it was tested for the first time aboard a ship, the destroyer USS Dewey, successfully shooting down drones.

Watch the USS Ponce firing its laser weapon:

Related