The USS Gerald R Ford, which was recently deployed closer to Israel, will reportedly be transitioning to an advanced laser defense system.

The lasers, which travel at the speed of light, are able to burn holes through enemy assets like drones.

Firing a single laser beam costs between $1 and $10. For comparison, a defensive missile can cost between $1 million - $10 million.

The lasers, which were first tested in 2014, were introduced to combat China's latest hypersonic missiles.

The Navy will soon be testing the Hellcat, High Energy Laser Counter Anti-Ship Cruise Missile, a 300-kilowatt laser that would be able to counter a hypersonic weapon.

It is unclear if the aircraft carrier is currently equipped with one of the lower kilowatt laser systems.

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