The USS Preble, a 9,700-ton Arleigh Burke-class destroyer equipped with a powerful laser weapon system, has departed Naval Base San Diego for Japan to bolster U.S. naval presence in the Indo-Pacific amid rising Chinese military activity.

The Preble, set to replace the USS Benfold at Yokosuka naval base, is the only destroyer of its class armed with the 60-kilowatt High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS), capable of shooting down drones and missiles.

This system enhances U.S. defense commitments to Japan and improves strategic capabilities in the region.

The Preble also features 96 vertical launching system cells for long-range missiles and various defensive weaponry, Newsweek has reported.

The introduction of HELIOS marks a significant advancement in directed energy weapons for the Navy, providing cost-effective and precise defensive options against aerial threats.

Written by B.C. Begley