 Welcome to All Hands Update, I'm Petty Officer Brandy Wills. The Office of Naval Research announced the Laser Weapon System, or LAWS, successfully deployed and operated a boarded naval vessel in the Arabian Gulf. The operational test took place from September to November aboard USS Ponce. During the test, LAWS hit targets mounted aboard an oncoming small boat, shot an unmanned aerial vehicle out of the sky, and destroyed other moving targets at sea. LAWS operated seamlessly with existing ship defense systems and provided new levels of precision and speed for naval warfighters. They also bring increased safety for ships and crews because it is not dependent on traditional propellant and gunpowder-based ordnance. The announcement confirms continued progress on directed energy weapons and supports the CNO's navigation plan.