/pol/ - International /Pol/itics & /Bant/er

BREAKING: The U.S. military is now reportedly using high-energy laser weapons in the Strait of Hormuz to shoot down drones and incoming cruise missiles - with some systems operated using modified Xbox-style controllers.

The New York Post reports the directed-energy systems are being deployed against Iranian threats at a fraction of the cost of conventional interceptor missiles.

The controller technology itself is not new: U.S. laser systems have previously been demonstrated with gamepad-style controls designed to make them easier for soldiers to learn and operate.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally tested one of the systems during a June demonstration at White Sands Missile Range, where directed-energy weapons were used against aerial targets.

The lasers are invisible to the naked eye and disable targets by concentrating energy on a small area until critical components overheat or fail.

The confirmed deployment highlights the growing link between space and missile defense: U.S. satellites increasingly provide the warning and tracking data that helps terrestrial systems identify and engage incoming threats.