International arms law forbids blinding laser weapons
Although there aren't any international laws banning blinding laser weapons specifically, there is precedent that supports such a ban. Protocol for Prohibiting the Use of Laser Weapons bans the transfer and use of such weapons. Protocol IV also prohibits combatants from being blinded by laser systems. This would negate the prohibition of laser weapons and violate international humanitarian laws. This precedent is not to be ignored. No state has ever claimed blinding laser weapons.
The use and transfer weapons that cause permanent vision loss is against international law. This principle comes from the humanitarian rule of distinction. This requires that the parties to an arms conflict be able distinguish between civilians or combatants. Additional Protocol I to Geneva Conventions forbids the use of weapons that are indiscriminate. Additionally, laser weapons could be used to circumvent the prohibition against indiscriminate weapons use.
U.S. Navy developing laser weapon system
For combat purposes, the U.S Navy is currently developing HELIOS, a high-energy laser. The laser is capable to destroy enemy drones. It can also be used for long-range intelligence or surveillance. This type of weapon should be operational by 2023.
MZA Associates, a laser company in Albuquerque New Mexico, is designing the system. It is expected that it will be a low-cost, portable counter-unmanned aircraft system. It can also shoot down small consumer quadcopters.
It's not ready for combat yet
The Navy recently announced in the U.S. that it had deployed the country's first operational laser weapons. The AN/SEQ-3 laser weapon system is 30 kilowatts in power. The weapon is designed to disable unmanned aerial vehicles and make them unstable by bombarding them with intense light. It cost $40 million to create and is currently being deployed by the U.S. Special Operations Command. It can also be used to blind drone camera images by its intense light. It was deployed on the USS Ponce in 2014 and is now fully operational.
While the laser weapon is not yet ready for combat, it is already being tested on a number of vehicles. Companies such as Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have been working on prototypes for over 50 years. Many of them are in the process of becoming program of record. By the end of this century, many of these weapons should be ready for deployment in the hands of warfighters.
It's being tested at sea
While it isn't clear if the Navy could deploy this weapon, the LaWS System could be a good alternative to missiles. The system is cost-effective and could save lives. The Navy is testing the system in various mission areas, although it is only currently approved for drones and water vessels.
HELIOS, a multi-mission capability, will be deployed in operational maritime environments by 2023. Future development will be guided by the lessons learned from testing. It was successful in land-based tests this year in Virginia.
It could also be used to destroy an anti-ship cruise ballistic missile
The Navy is making great progress in developing a high energy laser weapon that could destroy an anti-ship cruise ballistic missile. It is hoped this weapon will be as potent as a one megawatt laser. In 2014, a 30-kilowatt laser was tested on the USS Ponce. It was successful in degrading an unmanned aerial vehicle target.
Lasers are flexible weapons that can be used on almost any object. You can tailor a laser to target human targets or non-lethal materials such as metal. Lasers have destroyed cruise missiles as well as mortars in testing. Lasers aren’t great at penetrating objects, such as dust, fog, or antilaser coatings.