Editing Laser (section)

=== As weapons ===
[[File:THEL-ACTD.jpg|thumb|The US–Israeli [[Tactical High Energy Laser|Tactical High Energy weapon]] has been used to shoot down rockets and artillery shells]]
{{Main|Laser weapon}}

A [[laser weapon]] is a type of [[directed-energy weapon]] that uses [[lasers]] to inflict damage.<ref name="urlDirected Energy">{{cite web |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/dew.htm |title=Directed Energy |access-date=}}</ref> Whether they will be deployed as practical, high-performance military weapons remains to be seen.<ref name="nova-bas">{{Cite web | url=https://thebulletin.org/navys-new-laser-weapon-hype-or-reality8326 | title=Navy's new laser weapon: Hype or reality?| first1=Subrata|last1=Ghoshroy|date=2015-05-18|access-date=2020-01-17|work=[[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]]}}</ref><ref name="nova-ieee">{{Cite web | url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/no-quick-laser-missile-defense |title =Laser Weapons Not Yet Ready for Missile Defense|work=[[IEEE Spectrum]]|publisher=[[IEEE]]|first1=Jeff|last1=Hecht|date=2017-09-27|access-date=2020-01-17}}</ref> One of the major issues with laser weapons is atmospheric [[thermal blooming]], which is still largely unsolved. This issue is exacerbated when there is fog, smoke, dust, rain, snow, smog, foam, or purposely dispersed obscurant chemicals present. The [[United States Navy]] has tested the very short range (1 mile), 30-[[kilowatt|kW]] [[Laser Weapon System]] or LaWS to be used against targets like small [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|UAV]]s, [[rocket-propelled grenade]]s, and visible [[motorboat]] or [[helicopter]] engines.<ref name="Luis Martinez">{{cite news |title=Navy's New Laser Weapon Blasts Bad Guys From Air, Sea|author=Luis Martinez|url=https://news.yahoo.com/navys-laser-weapon-blasts-bad-215808231.html|newspaper=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|date=9 Apr 2013|access-date=9 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/weapons/a28636854/powerful-laser-weapon/ |title = The U.S. Army Plans to Field the Most Powerful Laser Weapon Yet|date = 2019-08-07}}</ref> It has been described as "six [[Laser beam welding|welding lasers]] strapped together." A 60&nbsp;kW system, [[HELIOS]], is being developed for destroyer-class ships {{As of|2020|lc=y}}.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2019/05/23/when-it-comes-to-missile-killing-lasers-the-us-navy-is-ready-to-burn-its-ships/ |title = When it comes to missile-killing lasers, the US Navy is ready to burn its ships|date = 2019-05-28}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.popsci.com/here-come-laser-helicopters/ | title=Here come the helicopters with weaponized lasers|access-date=2020-01-17|first1=Kelsey D. |last1=Atherton |date=2017-06-27 |work=[[Popular Science]]}}</ref>
[[File:YAL-1A Airborne Laser unstowed crop.jpg|thumb|The [[Boeing YAL-1|YAL-1]], a modified [[Boeing 747]] with a laser weapon on board. It was canceled in December 2011 and scrapped in September 2014.]]
Lasers can be used as incapacitating [[non-lethal weapons]].{{cn|date=December 2024}} They can cause temporary or permanent vision loss when directed at the eyes. Even lasers with a power output of less than one watt can cause immediate and permanent vision loss under certain conditions, making them potentially non-lethal but incapacitating weapons. The use of such lasers is morally controversial due to the extreme handicap that laser-induced blindness represents. The [[Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons]] bans the use of weapons designed to cause permanent blindness. Weapons designed to cause temporary blindness, known as [[Dazzler (weapon)|dazzlers]], are used by military and sometimes law enforcement organizations.