ODIN dazzler destined for more destroyers
USS Stockdale (DDG 106) was one of the first USN guided missile destroyers to be equipped with the ODIN C-UAS laser. (Photo: USN)
Shipborne C-UAS laser will be installed on five more Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
Additional USN vessels are to receive the AN/SEQ-4 Optical Dazzler Interdictor, Navy (ODIN) directed-energy weapon for C-UAS operations.
Prime contractor VTG announced on 21 July that it will install and integrate ODIN on five Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided missile destroyers, having been selected by the US Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme Division.
The value of the deal and project timeframe were undisclosed.
In 2020, VTG successfully integrated the C-UAS laser aboard USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and USS Spruance (DDG 111) under a separate sole-source contract, completing both projects on time and on budget. This followed the first integration of ODIN in February 2020 aboard USS Dewey. The USN released a photo of Stockdale on 14 July that showed ODIN installed on the forecastle.
Developed and built by the NSWC Dahlgren Division, ODIN is being rapidly fielded to meet an urgent USN operational requirement. The laser will be installed on surface vessels to counter asymmetric threats and provide a scalable response for escalation of force.
While the USN refuses to specify the power of ODIN, previous budget documents indicated that it is a low-power solid-state laser.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power]()
Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?
-
![US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027]()
US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027
The Technology Operational Experimentation Events will inform future requirements as the US Navy looks for innovative solutions across three key operational domains.
-
![Future Canadian Continental Defence Corvette will provide “Halifax-equivalent capabilities”]()
Future Canadian Continental Defence Corvette will provide “Halifax-equivalent capabilities”
Although the CDC project is still in its early stages, the Canadian Department of National Defence already has some requirements for the future platforms.
-
![US Navy to acquire micro-uncrewed underwater vehicles for ISR and coastal data collection]()
US Navy to acquire micro-uncrewed underwater vehicles for ISR and coastal data collection
The Naval Supply Systems Command is seeking authorised resellers of JaiaBot uncrewed underwater vehicles and multivehicle pods. The platforms will support undergraduate education at the US Naval Academy.
