U.S. Navy Laser Test Takes Down Drone - Navy unveils powerful ship-mounted laser weapon The Laser Weapon System, mounted on a ship can "defeat small boat threats and aerial targets." The U.S. Navy announced Monday that it is preparing to deploy a new weapon that can disable a hostile boat and even destroy a surveillance drone overhead — all without dispensing any ammunition. It is the Navy's Laser Weapons System (LaWS), a laser mounted on a ship that is so strong it can ignite a drone, sending it crashing and burning to earth in mere moments. The USS Ponce, an amphibious transport docking ship, will be the first Navy vessel to deploy with the LaWS, officials announced Monday.