[2] Due to various operational problems, LaWS was never put into mass production; it was replaced by the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance.

The LaWS is a ship-defense system that has so far publicly engaged an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV or drone) and a simulated small-boat attacker.

[3] In 2010, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions was awarded an $11 million contract to support the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) in the development of LaWS for the U.S. Navy's Directed Energy and Electric Weapon Systems (DE&EWS) program.

[4] The May 24, 2010 NSWC test used a close-in weapon control system to enable the beam director to track an unmanned aerial vehicle target.

With tests going well, the Navy expected to deploy a laser weapon operationally between 2017 and 2021 with an effective range of 1 mi (1.6 km; 0.87 nmi).

The exact level of power the LaWS will use is unknown but estimated between 15–50 Kilowatt (kW) for engaging small aircraft and high-speed boats.

It generates 33 kW in testing, with follow-on deployable weapons generating 60–100 kW mounted on a Littoral Combat Ship or Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to destroy fast-attack boats, drones, manned aircraft, and anti-ship cruise missiles out to a few miles.

[8] The LaWS was deployed on Ponce in late August 2014 to the Persian Gulf with the U.S. 5th Fleet[9][10] to test the feasibility of a laser weapon in a maritime environment against heat, humidity, dust, and salt water and to see how much power is used.

Although neighboring Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz using small boat swarms that the LaWS is able to counter, it was not designed or deployed specifically to be used against any one particular country.

The Navy has released video of the LaWS on deployment disabling a ScanEagle UAV, detonating a rocket-propelled grenade, and burning out the engine of a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB).

[17] In January 2018, the Navy announced a US$150 million contract with Lockheed Martin for the production of two HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance) units, due for delivery in 2020; one was to be fitted to USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) while the other was intended for land-based testing.