The U.S. military gets its first delivery of Stryker vehicles with a 50 kW laser weapon.

Laser weapons are the future is written. But now laser weapons are turning true actors in the military world. The lesson from the Ukraine war is that there is a need for a weapon that can destroy multiple drones without ammunition resupply. Laser and microwave weapons are capable of that kind of action. 

And the Stryker armored vehicle will get a 50-kilowatt DEIMOS (Directed Energy Interceptor for Maneuver of Short Range Air Defense) laser system for its defense. That laser weapon can destroy drones and aircraft that fly in low altitudes. 

As well as those laser weapons can destroy 60 mm. grenades. And those abilities mean that the time of low and slowly flying ground-attack aircraft is over. Laser weapons are needed to destroy new threats, like drone swarms and incoming ammunition. The laser weapons are a response to drone swarms. 

If a high-power laser ray hits a human, the effect is similar to a bullet. And by adjusting, the power of laser rays is possible to create a laser-based stun gun. But the same weapon can also destroy drones and other kinds of things. 

There is the possibility to use also conical microwaves along with that laser. And it can destroy entire drone swarms. The laser and other DEW (Directed Energy Weapons) can also make some missiles like Javelins old-fashion. And that kind of system can also install in MBTs:s (Main Battle Tanks). Laser weapons can also mount on satellites. And those weapons can protect satellites against incoming kinetic energy missiles. But satellites can also use those lasers against other satellites. 

The same lasers that operate in that weapon, can also use for communication, long-range targeting, and spectral analysis. The laser can also scan surfaces and make 3D models of the environment. The laser can change its power. And that thing makes it a multi-use tool. When the laser is used as Lidar it can detect stealth aircraft. 

In this mode, a laser-ray is like a cone. But when the system detects the incoming threat it can remove the lens from the front of the laser. And increase its power. The laser ray can also destroy toxic gas from the air. And that makes it a useful tool for protecting troops against chemical weapons. 

In the same way in communication mode, the laser can use small power that keeps the laser's temperature low. But when the computer sees incoming ammunition or a drone it can increase the power of the laser. The 5o kW laser ray can cut the wing off from the aircraft. Or it can detonate incoming grenade before it reaches their target. The highly mobile systems can transport those lasers anywhere where they are needed. 

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/10/lockheed-unveils-new-laser-weapon-for-armys-stryker-vehicles/

https://www.popsci.com/technology/army-laser-stryker/