The Truth About Military Lasers (And the Biggest Myths) | SME 017

Laser Wars Jared Keller joins Subject Matter Expert to break down the world of military lasers—what works now, what’s still wishful thinking, and how these futuristic weapons fit into real counter-drone, ship defense, and air-to-air protection missions. We get practical on the financial ramifications of directed energy weapons, magazine depth against drone swarms, and the unsexy limits that matter (power, beam control, cooling, weather). We also hit current headlines, from shipboard lasers in contested waters to how realistic railguns are—and map out what to watch in outer space.Jared Keller is the writer behind Laser Wars, an up-and-coming Substack focused on directed-energy weapons and futuristic defense tech. A longtime national-security reporter and former managing editor at Task & Purpose and Military.com, he translates defense-industry claims into plain English, pressure-testing vendor hype against physics, logistics, and real-world concepts of operation.In this episode​Lasers vs. drones: cost-per-shot and “infinite magazine” reality​Where lasers actually slot in a layered air defense (EW + kinetic + DE)​Ground, sea, and air use cases: what’s deployable vs. developmental​Power & thermal management: the boring stuff that decides winners​Law & escalation: dazzling optics, blinding bans, and gray-zone fights​12-month forecast: what capability becomes routine—and what remains hype​Will we ever have a Star Wars-esque lightsaber?!Follow Jared Keller​Read Jared’s Substack “Laser Wars”​Follow Jared on XNew here? Welcome to Subject Matter Expert, hosted by Marty Skovlund Jr., featuring top experts across diverse and relevant fields without regard to political bias. If you're looking for an echo chamber, this isn't it! In each episode, Marty dives deep into high-impact topics with guests who have been there, done that, offering nuanced insights and practical takeaways, while highlighting their unique stories, knowledge, and experiences.Subscribe & Follow​Subscribe to ⁠Subject Matter Expert on YouTube⁠​Subscribe to ⁠Subject Matter Expert Clips on YouTube⁠​Follow ⁠Subject Matter Expert on Instagram⁠​Follow ⁠Marty on Instagram⁠Buy Marty's Books​⁠Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War⁠​⁠Violence of Action: The True Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror⁠