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US: Navy tests green beam across Chesapeake Bay

The U.S. Navy announced that they would be testing a green laser across the width of the Chesapeake Bay in the evenings on June 26-30 2017.

The information was released to help reassure any residents who might see the beam. The Navy called the beam “eye-safe” and said the beam would be turned off if an aircraft or watercraft is within 300 meters.

The purpose of the test is to “evaluate the performance of a laser system at long range over water,” according to a spokesperson. The laser would be aimed from the source to a target as far as 13 miles away.

There was speculation that the laser was 150 kilowatts, based on an earlier speech by the vice chief of naval operations. However, the spokesperson said the June 27 test would not be using the 150 kW laser.

From the Baltimore Sun, WTOP and the town of Morningside, Maryland