Soon, somewhere in the waters of the Middle East, ships will be blasting missiles out of the sky with lasers. Yes, you read that right. The U.S. Navy has already outfitted the fantail of transport ship USS Ponce with a solid-state fiber laser capable of destroying drones in flight.
Why should investors care? In the following interview with The Motley Fool's Erin Miller, Tim Beyers of Motley Fool Rule Breakers and Motley Fool Supernova says the technology is reminiscent of IPG Photonics' (IPGP 1.57%) pioneering work in fiber lasers. He also says the breakthrough could put pressure on Navy contractors such as Northrop Grumman (NOC 0.49%) to develop new ships capable of carrying laser weapons systems.
Please watch this short video to get Tim's full take, and then leave a comment to let us know what you think of the Navy's efforts to bring a little sci-fi action to its fleet.
