Xbox controllers can operate these weapons: US deploys high-energy systems in Strait of Hormuz to counter drones & missiles

The US military has been deploying high-energy laser weapons in the Strait of Hormuz to counter drones and other aerial threats, with soldiers reportedly using modified Xbox-style controllers to operate the systems, according to a report by The New York Post.

The report comes as the US continues to develop directed-energy weapons designed to destroy drones and incoming cruise missiles without relying on conventional interceptors for every engagement.

US laser weapons target drones and cruise missiles

According to The New York Post, the US Department of War said the laser systems can be used to destroy "drones and incoming cruise missiles" at a lower cost than conventional kinetic weapons such as missiles.


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The US has been developing directed-energy weapons for decades, with the technology now being tested and deployed in different environments.

Unlike traditional air-defence systems, laser weapons use concentrated energy rather than a physical projectile to engage a target. This could reduce the need for large stocks of conventional ammunition in some scenarios.

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How do US laser weapons work?

The systems use energy generated by power sources such as generators or battery packs and convert it into a concentrated beam of light.

The beam can be directed towards a target and heat a specific area until the target's components are disabled or destroyed.

"We can very specifically track and target drones and put the spot exactly where we want it, [in order] to disable its sensors or kill [explode] the drone itself," Mark Neice, president of Directed Energy Consultants, was quoted as saying by The New York Post.

Why are Xbox controllers being used to operate laser weapons?

One of the more unusual aspects of the systems is their control interface.

According to the report, US military personnel are using reconfigured Xbox-style game controllers to operate the laser weapons.

The reasoning is relatively straightforward: gaming controllers are already designed for precise movement and targeting, and personnel familiar with them may require less training to operate a similar interface.

The US military's approach, as cited by The New York Post, is that if the gaming industry has already developed effective controllers, there may be little reason to create an entirely new specialised control system.

'If you've shot a Spartan laser in Halo...'

Jared Keller, who writes the Laser Wars newsletter, said deploying the technology outside laboratory settings makes sense as the military works towards practical battlefield applications.

"If you've shot a Spartan laser in 'Halo', you can probably fire [one of the weapons] in real life," Keller said, according to The New York Post.

The comparison refers to the fictional Spartan Laser weapon featured in the Halo video game series.

US laser weapons deployed in Middle East

The systems being deployed in the Middle East are reportedly large and heavy, meaning they are currently suited to installation on larger military platforms rather than being carried by individual soldiers.

One system highlighted in the report is the High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler with Surveillance, or HELIOS.

The system is designed to combine a high-energy laser with optical surveillance and dazzling capabilities. According to The New York Post, HELIOS can focus a 60-kilowatt laser on targets.

Boeing's compact laser system targets drones

The US defence industry is also developing smaller directed-energy systems.

Boeing's Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS), for instance, is designed to counter smaller unmanned aerial systems, including Group 3 drones, according to the report.

The development of increasingly compact systems could eventually expand the range of platforms that can carry directed-energy weapons.

Could laser weapons change military logistics?

Brent Ziarnick, a senior fellow in defence studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, told The New York Post that sufficiently powerful laser systems could become an important defensive technology.

"Put enough energy through them and it's possible to have a very good defensive system. You can, conceivably, not have to worry about ammunition stockpiles. It can change military logistics quite a bit," Ziarnick said.

A key attraction of laser weapons is that their ammunition is essentially the available electrical energy, rather than individual missiles or other physical interceptors.

Laser weapons still face major limitations

Despite their potential, directed-energy weapons are not without limitations.

The large systems currently deployed at sea require substantial equipment and power, while atmospheric conditions can affect the performance of high-energy lasers.

The systems also face challenges when dealing with multiple drones arriving simultaneously, particularly when targets approach from different directions.

These limitations mean laser weapons are being developed as another layer of air defence rather than an immediate replacement for conventional missile-based systems.

The US military is reportedly spending around $500 million on the development of what experts describe as increasingly war-ready laser technology, according to The New York Post.


Inputs from agencies