Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) LWS

The Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) is a laser weapon system developed by the U.S. Navy to counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS). It uses a non-kinetic, non-lethal laser to dazzle and disrupt the optical sensors of enemy drones, protecting naval vessels.

Developed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, the ODIN system was conceived as an urgent operational requirement to counter the growing threat of adversary intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance drones tracking U.S. warships. The system officially entered service in late 2019 with its first installation aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Dewey. Since then, ODIN has been deployed on multiple destroyers operating in high-tension maritime environments, such as the Western Pacific, to actively deter foreign aerial surveillance. Currently operational on at least eight vessels, ODIN serves as a vital transitional technology that paved the way for more powerful directed-energy programs like the HELIOS laser system.