Operation Good Neighbor: :Israel’s part in Syria.

Posted July 19, 2017 by Joseph Wouk
Categories: Uncategorized

 

 

Israeli lawmaker: Waqf’s control of the Temple Mount is over

Posted July 19, 2017 by Peter Hofman
Categories: Uncategorized

Parliament member says Israeli police force, not the Jordanian Waqf, has full control of the Temple Mount.

July 18, 2017

Source: Israeli lawmaker: Waqf’s control of the Temple Mount is over | World Israel News

Israeli police outside the Temple Mount. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Parliament member says Israeli police force, not the Jordanian Waqf, has full control of the Temple Mount.

The Jordanian Waqf’s de facto control over the Temple Mount came “to an end last Friday,” Member of Knesset (MK) Avi Dichter, Chairman of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, stated Tuesday. Dichter was specifically referring to Israel’s implementation of new security measures at the holy site, including the installment of metal detectors.

The Waqf, Jordan’s Islamic Trust which manages religious affairs at the site, has been boycotting the Temple Mount, refusing to adhere to new security procedures introduced by the Israeli police following Friday’s the attack, in which three terrorists shot and murdered two Israeli policemen. They called on other Muslim worshipers to follow suit, but hundreds nevertheless prayed at the holy site.

Speaking to Israel Radio, Dichter called for a change to the current situation, in which Jews have no rights on the Tempe Mount.

“Regarding the Temple Mount, I can say that it’s a question of our policy at the site, which is unclear to the Palestinians, but is very clear to us,” he said, pointing to the fact that the Palestinians have changed their propaganda strategy. In the past, they have run the campaign “al-Aqsa is in danger,” but “now they have changed the campaign to ‘the Temple Mount equals al-Aqsa.’ They are trying to create a situation in which it is problematic for Jews to go up to the Temple Mount. Al-Aqsa Mosque is considered the third-holiest place in Islam, so just as non-Muslims are not allowed to enter Mecca or Medina, they want to create the same situation on the Temple Mount, But the Mount will remain under the control of the Israel Police,” Dichter said.

He said the police were capable and well experienced in carrying out such security tasks, and rejected the notion of a foreign force securing the site.

“In no situation will an international force be inside the sovereign area of the State of Israel. The state knows how to take care of sensitive people,” Dichter said.

He charged the Waqf with trying to assert its authority and promote its agenda of control on the Temple Mount. “There will be no international force here, not UNIFIL and not any other force, apart from the State of Israel,” Dichter said.

On Monday, Arabs clashed with police just outside the Temple Mount and several of the rioters were reportedly wounded in the process.

By: World Israel News Staff

 

The other North Korean threat

Posted July 19, 2017 by danmillerinpanama
Categories: North Korean elite special forces

Tags:

The other North Korean threat, Washington Examiner, Sean Durns, July 19, 2017

The Hermit Kingdom has been steadily expanding its special forces in recent years. The current estimate of 180,000 to 200,000 was noted in a 2010 South Korean defense white paper. That same report pointed out that just four years prior, the North likely had 120,000 SOF operators

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North Korea’s successful launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on July 4, 2017, has rightfully occasioned concern and condemnation by the United States and others. Ruled for more than seven decades by the dynastic dictatorship of the Kim family, the so-called Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has, in recent years, made huge advances in nuclear weapons, missilery and cyber-warfare, with which it menaces the West and its allies.

Yet with tensions increasing on the Korean peninsula, policymakers should consider another threat emanating from Pyongyang: the regime’s well-trained and fanatical special operations forces (SOF).

As foreign affairs analyst Kyle Mizokami has noted, North Korea might have “the largest special-forces organization in the world,” with some estimates numbering 200,000 men and women, encompassing 25 brigades and five battalions.

A Pentagon report issued to Congress in 2016 called the DPRK’s special operations forces “among the most highly-trained, well equipped, best fed and highly motivated” in the North’s military. They give Pyongyang “significant capabilities for small-scale attacks that could rapidly escalate into a larger confrontation.”

Should war erupt on the peninsula, the U.S. Department of Defense states that it’s likely that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s military strategy will rely heavily on asymmetric warfare to offset the comparative technological advantages of the U.S., the Republic of Korea and others. Indeed, much of the regime’s aircraft and the equipment of conventional forces in the Korean People’s Army — including the North Korean People’s Navy — are deeply outdated.

To compensate, Pyongyang has invested in air defense, cyber capabilities and its SOF component. The last is dispersed across the country and includes commandos capable of reconnaissance and airborne and seaborne insertions.

If war occurs, these forces “would likely launch dozens of separate attacks throughout South Korea,” according to Mizokami. It’s probable that they would utilize suspected underground tunnels to attack vulnerable targets in the South.

Once engaged, Kim’s SOF have the ability to deploy chemical, radiological and biological weapons. DPRK operators are also reportedly highly trained in the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which plagued American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years.

In the event of conflict, the North’s rough and unforgiving terrain would act as a force multiplier; it would be ideal for ambushes, direct action raids and guerilla warfare tactics. It’s likely that these units, including sniper teams, would be dressed in civilian garb or South Korean or U.S. military uniforms. Some, disguised as civilians, might use passenger flights to enter the South and wreak havoc.

North Korean officials exhorted that the recent ICBM launch was a “gift” for “American bastards.” The dictatorship has been equally clear about how it would employ its special forces.

On December 11, 2016, Kim’s government built a full-scale mock-up of the official residence of the South Korean president called the Blue House. North Korean SOF, as part of a drill that was broadcast on state-controlled media, fast-roped from helicopters and assaulted the residence, eventually setting it ablaze.

Some analysts speculated that the televised propaganda was meant to celebrate the impeachment of then-South Korean President Park Geun-hye the day before. This would be in keeping with the regime’s character and its hateful ideology. But it would be a mistake not to take the North’s fantasies seriously.

Pyongyang, in fact, has a history of using commandos against those it deems enemies of its Stalinist regime.

In 1968, 31 DPRK operators conducted a raid on the South Korean capital of Seoul. The men, belonging to a group known as Unit 124, infiltrated the country with plans to storm the Blue House and assassinate then-South Korean President Park Chung-hee. The team managed to make it within yards of the residence before being discovered. The ensuing gunfight and subsequent manhunt resulted in 59 deaths, including four American soldiers. All but two of the North Koreans were killed — at least one via suicide with a hand grenade.

More recently, in 1996, a DPRK submarine loaded with a Special Forces reconnaissance team ran aground off the South Korean coast. Four South Korean civilians and eight soldiers, along with nearly all of the North Korean forces, were killed. Two years ago, tensions between North and South were raised when two land mines—likely planted by Kim’s SOF—went off in the demilitarized zone separating the two countries, wounding two ROK troops.

The Hermit Kingdom has been steadily expanding its special forces in recent years. The current estimate of 180,000 to 200,000 was noted in a 2010 South Korean defense white paper. That same report pointed out that just four years prior, the North likely had 120,000 SOF operators.

As the U.S. and its allies consider how to confront the North Korean menace, the Kim regime’s ability to employ fanatical and highly trained special forces in numbers comparable to the entire U.S. Marine Corps must be taken into careful consideration. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.

 

Ynetnews News – Netanyahu in hot mic tirade: EU treatment of Israel is ‘crazy’

Posted July 19, 2017 by Peter Hofman
Categories: Uncategorized

In comments accidentally overheard by journalists, the prime minister urges leaders of Hungary and the Czech Republic to convince their European colleagues not to condition ties with Israel on peace talks with Palestinians.

Itamar Eichner|Published:  19.07.17 , 15:23

Source: Ynetnews News – Netanyahu in hot mic tirade: EU treatment of Israel is ‘crazy’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on an unprecedented tirade against the European Union on Wednesday, calling the organization’s treatment of Israel “crazy.”

“There is no logic here. Europe is undermining its own security by undermining Israel,” Netanyahu said in a private meeting in Budapest with the leaders of Hungary and the Czech Republic discussing Iran, Syria, the Islamic State, and EU-Israel relations.

Netanyahu’s hot mic comments were accidentally broadcast to journalists covering the prime minister’s trip through their earpieces. The feed was cut off as soon as it was discovered.

Netanyahu with the leaders of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia (Photo: Haim Tzah, GPO)

Netanyahu with the leaders of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia (Photo: Haim Tzah, GPO)

Before that, however, journalists heard the prime minister criticize the European Union for conditioning technological cooperation with Israel on creating the political conditions for peace talks with the Palestinians.

“Europe is endangering its own development by endangering its ties with Israel over this crazy attempt to create conditions” for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, he said. “Israel is right there and Europe is disconnecting itself from this massive center of innovation.”

He went on to comment that, “If this were only about my interests, I wouldn’t have brought it up. Don’t undermine the only country in the region that is looking after Europe’s interests. Stop attacking Israel, support Israel.”

Hungarian premier Viktor Orbán responded to Netanyahu in a conciliatory tone, telling him the European Union sets similar conditions to its member states as well. “We definitely understand what we’re talking about,” he said.

Netanyahu with the leaders of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia (Photo: Haim Tzah, GPO)

Netanyahu with the leaders of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia (Photo: Haim Tzah, GPO)

Netanyahu replied that “Europe must decide if it wants to live and prosper or wither and disappear. I see you’re shocked because I’m not being politically correct…. We’re part of the European culture. Europe ends in Israel. East of Israel, there’s no more Europe… I suggest you first help us and Europe by expediting agreements with us and sending a message to your colleagues in Europe on how to help Europe.”

The prime minister told the other leaders of Israel’s good ties with world powers like China and India. “There’s a strange situation here, I must say. The European Union is the only one in the world that sets conditions to its ties with Israel, which spreads technology in every region of the world,” he said. “I’ve just been to China. President Xi told me, ‘You’re an innovation giant.’ We have special ties with China and they don’t care about politics. (India’s Prime Minister) Modi told me, ‘I need to solve the water problem, what should I do? I need to produce milk, what cow produces the most milk? The Israeli cow.'”

 He also discussed Israel’s ties with the US. “We had a big problem with US policy. It’s different now. There’s a stronger stance against Iran. There’s a renewed American presence in our region and more bombings, and that’s positive… I told (Russian President) Putin, when we see (Iran) transferring weapons to Hezbollah, we’ll hit them. We’ve done it dozens of times.”

Netanyahu met with leaders of Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia at a regional summit Wednesday

Allen West: If Israel goes, Western civilization goes

Posted July 18, 2017 by danmillerinpanama
Categories: Allen West, Jewish history, Palestinians, Palestinians and Islam, Rewriting History

Tags: , , , ,

Allen West: If Israel goes, Western civilization goes, Israel National News, David Rosenberg, July 18, 2017

(LTC (ret) Allen West should have a significant place in the Trump administration. — DM)

 

West noted how the term “Palestinian” has entered the political lexicon of the Middle East conflict almost unquestioned, along with the historical links it implies to the ancient Philistines – despite the fact that modern day “Palestinians” are relative newcomers to the country, with no ties to the people of Greek origin called “invaders” (Plishtim in Hebrew) by the Jews.

And if you know something about the ancient Philistines, you know they had nothing to do with Arabs. The ancient Philistines were descendants of the Greeks. So when we have people today that are saying this is ‘Palestine, and I’m a Palestinian,’ we need to understand that the whole reason this word was introduced was as [Rome’s] punishment for the Jewish people.”

“So if we’re going to return Palestine to the rightful owners, then we’re talking about returning it to the Jewish people, who were punished in the first place.”

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Former Congressman (Florida-R) Col. Allen West addressed the 2017 Christians United for Israel (CUFI) summit in Washington DC on Monday, warning that pro-Arab activists in the US and abroad were working to erase Jewish history, and thus undermine the State of Israel.

West, who represented Florida’s 22nd congressional district in the US House of Representatives and is a combat veteran from both Iraq wars, argued that the fate of Western civilization was tied to the future of the Jewish state.

“As goes Israel – so goes the United States of America and so goes Western civilization. And so many of our adversaries and enemies know that. That’s what we’re facing all across the Middle East and, truthfully, all across the world.”

Aside from the obvious military threats from Iran and other adversaries, as well as the ubiquitous danger of terror attacks, West argued that Israel faced another, more subtle threat – the rewriting of history to erase the Jewish past, and ultimately undermine the Jewish state’s legitimacy.

To illustrate his point, West noted how the term “Palestinian” has entered the political lexicon of the Middle East conflict almost unquestioned, along with the historical links it implies to the ancient Philistines – despite the fact that modern day “Palestinians” are relative newcomers to the country, with no ties to the people of Greek origin called “invaders” (Plishtim in Hebrew) by the Jews.

“During the Simeon Bar Kochba revolt, it was Emperor Hadrian, Roman Emperor Hadrian who decided to punish the Jewish people,” said West.

“After he defeated the insurrection of the Simeon Bar Kochba revolt, he said that the name of this region shall be changed from Judea to Palaestinia. Palaestinia is a derivative from the root word ‘Philistia’. And if you know something about the ancient Philistines, you know they had nothing to do with Arabs. The ancient Philistines were descendants of the Greeks. So when we have people today that are saying this is ‘Palestine, and I’m a Palestinian,’ we need to understand that the whole reason this word was introduced was as [Rome’s] punishment for the Jewish people.”

“So if we’re going to return Palestine to the rightful owners, then we’re talking about returning it to the Jewish people, who were punished in the first place.”

“But because we allow people to hijack history – and that’s even happening here in the United States of America, where people are trying to destroy history. Think about the recent UNESCO decision on Hevron, when all of a sudden they’re saying that it’s the Palestinians that have a right to the Tomb of the Patriarchs. This goes along with a lot of this false narrative, this propaganda out there, where people are saying that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, even Jesus, are prophets of the religion of Islam.”

The Jewish Bar Kochba Revolt against the Romans took place in Judea from 132-136 C.E. while Islam originated in the 7th century C.E. in the Arabian Peninsula.

King of Saudi Arabia Personally Intervenes in Temple Mount Crisis, Says Metal Detectors ‘Routine’ at Holy Places

Posted July 18, 2017 by danmillerinpanama
Categories: Israel and Saudi Arabia, Israeli security, King Abdullah II, King Salman, Metal detectors, Temple Mount, Terrorism, Trump and Israel, Trump and Saudi Arabia

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King of Saudi Arabia Personally Intervenes in Temple Mount Crisis, Says Metal Detectors ‘Routine’ at Holy Places, The Jewish Press, Hana Levi Julian, July 18, 2017

King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman of Saudi Arabia personally intervened in the Temple Mount crisis via the United States, according to a report posted Tuesday by the Arabic-language Elaph website, based in London.

The decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top Israeli security officials late Saturday night to reopen the holy site to Muslim worshipers, visitors and tourists allegedly came after receiving a message from the Saudi monarch via the White House.

Moreover, the Saudi king expressed no reservations about Israel’s decision to upgrade security by installing metal detectors at the entrances to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount in the wake of the terror attack last Friday that left two Israeli policemen dead and others wounded.

“The issue of metal detection machines, said the source, is a matter that has become routine in the holy places because of terrorism, which strikes without discrimination and in most places regardless of the sanctity of the different religions,” reported Elaph.

The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Muhammad Hussein, warned followers that their prayers would not be accepted in Heaven if they pass through the metal detectors to enter the Temple Mount for prayers in Al Aqsa Mosque — the third holiest site in Islam.

Given that King Salman is the Custodian of the Two Mosques, Islam’s two holiest sites, one might consider his authority to overrule that of the Mufti in spiritual matters such as effect of metal detectors on the human body and its ability to convey prayer to heaven.

Israel’s prime minister also reportedly invited King Salman and Saudi officials to visit the Al Aqsa Mosque to see “the situation on the ground,” but “received no response.”

In addition, Netanyahu reiterated his pledge via the White House that Israel would maintain the status quo at the site, the report noted, adding Jordan was also involved in the communications. Israel’s prime minister, Elaph reported, told Jordan’s King Abdullah II he was not pleased about remarks by Jordan’s parliamentary speaker, Atef Tarawneh over Al Aqsa, which he considered “irresponsible.”

On Tuesday, Tarawneh added to the incitement, commenting from the podium of the Jordanian Parliament that the legislative body “is documenting all the racist laws of the Knesset that support the settlements and the occupation, and we will spread them to all the parliaments that are brothers and friends of Jordan around the world.”

More Migrant Riots Hit France

Posted July 18, 2017 by danmillerinpanama
Categories: Europe and freedom, Europe and Islam, Europe and Islamic terror, European "democracy", European establishment, European Union - disintegration, European values, European weakness, France, Islamic invasion, Islamisation of Europe, Islamisation of France, Merkel, Multiculturalism

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More Migrant Riots Hit France, Front Page Magazine, Joseph Klein, July 18, 2017

A majority of Europeans agree that the waves of immigration into their countries have been getting out of hand. However, for the elitist leaders in Europe, spearheaded by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, an open borders policy remains the Holy Grail. Opposing continued mass migration into Europe is tantamount to hate speech, they believe. Thus, Chancellor Merkel was overheard last fall on a hot mic asking Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg what more he planned to do to stop anti-immigrant posts. Facebook is cooperating with actions to remove comments that it claims “promote xenophobia.”

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The European migration experiment is failing miserably. Self-declared “refugees” and migrants from Africa and the Middle East are importing their violence, chaos and regressive norms of behavior into formerly harmonious countries all over Western Europe. As Seth J. Frantzman wrote in the Jerusalem Post last December, “They hate the very society they have often chosen to migrate to. Their new society tolerated their intolerance and taught them that this new country provided such unfettered freedom that it should be destroyed.”

For example, while many French people were busy celebrating Bastille Day – a year after the tragic Islamist massacre in Nice – riots and violence reportedly broke out on the nights of July 13 and 14 in suburbs of Paris heavily populated by migrants. A policeman was badly wounded and 897 cars were burned. Hundreds of individuals were placed in custody.

There was also a riot in the streets of Paris a few days ago by a mob of angry Congolese. They were infuriated by a scheduled concert at Paris’s Olympia music hall by a Congolese artist thought to be too close to the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo they detest. The concert was cancelled as a result of the clashes and threats of more violence. The Congolese living in Paris brought their tribal hatreds to the land that gave them the opportunity to leave such hatreds behind. They abused the freedoms they were afforded, turning on those freedoms by violently preventing an artistic performance from taking place.

These are far from isolated incidents of migrant violence in Western Europe this year. Indeed, all is not well for the Western traditions of pluralism and individual liberties in the multicultural sewer Europe is fast becoming. The number of vehicular killings, stabbings, shootings, sexual assaults, riots and car burnings has risen exponentially in France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, as the tide of migration has intensified. No-go zones have multiplied. Free speech is becoming a casualty of hecklers’ veto and misplaced multicultural sensitivities. Yet Europe continues to admit even more migrants without any adequate vetting.

“When people lose hope, they risk crossing the Sahara and the Mediterranean because it is worse to stay at home, where they run enormous risks,” Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament, said. “If we don’t confront this soon, we will find ourselves with millions of people on our doorstep within five years. Today we are trying to solve a problem of a few thousand people, but we need to have a strategy for millions of people.”

A majority of Europeans agree that the waves of immigration into their countries have been getting out of hand. However, for the elitist leaders in Europe, spearheaded by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, an open borders policy remains the Holy Grail. Opposing continued mass migration into Europe is tantamount to hate speech, they believe. Thus, Chancellor Merkel was overheard last fall on a hot mic asking Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg what more he planned to do to stop anti-immigrant posts. Facebook is cooperating with actions to remove comments that it claims “promote xenophobia.”

In the Netherlands, the police paid visits to people using social media to express their anti-mass migration views. One Dutch man described his encounter with the police. “They asked me to be careful about my Twitter behavior, because if there are riots, then I’m responsible,” the Dutch man said. He had tweeted: “The college of Sliedrecht has a proposal to receive 250 refugees in the coming 2 years. What a bad plan! #letusresist.” The police told him to watch his tone because his tweets “may seem seditious.”

Free speech is the enemy of both elitist governments, which believe they know what is best for their benighted “subjects,” and of extremists, who believe only they possess the truth and that the expression of contrary opinions is heresy. Elitist governments use their instruments of power to suppress free speech. The extremists use violence and play the race card against those they consider to be the so-called “oppressors” and their enablers.

Leftists who reject the pluralistic norms of capitalist, democratic Western societies encourage mass migration of unassimilated individuals from conflicting cultures to destabilize and then radically transform such democratic societies. Thus, we see twitter posts such as “We must #EndWhiteness with mass immigration.” And rather than express empathy with victims of immigrant violence, leftists have sided with the migrants in opposition to concerns of local citizens about public safety. This happened, for example, in Sweden a couple of years ago after an Algerian and a Syrian living in the same migrant center were jailed for each raping the same Swedish woman on the same night.

When they are not rioting themselves, such as in Hamburg earlier this month, left wing activists have also stoked immigrant violence for their own ends. The red-green axis of leftists and Islamists is alive and well.

Iran may withdraw from N-deal for “US violations

Posted July 18, 2017 by danmillerinpanama
Categories: Iran - sanctions, Iran scam, Iranian missiles, Iranian nukes, Trump and Iran

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Iran may withdraw from N-deal for “US violations, DEBKAfile, July 18, 2017

(Why not? Iran has already received all of the substantial U.S. financial benefits of the Iran Scam. Withdrawal would allow Iran to pursue its nuclear objectives without the minor conveniences of trying to hide them. Please see also, Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program: On Course, Underground, Uninspected. — DM)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif told a National Interest interview Tuesday: “If it comes to a major [US] violation, or what in the terms of the nuclear deal is called significant nonperformance, then Iran has other options available, including withdrawing from the deal.” This was his rejoinder to the Trump administration’s statement in certifying that Iran was in compliance of the nuclear deal while “in default of its spirit.”

 

The Truth Versus CNN

Posted July 18, 2017 by danmillerinpanama
Categories: Bill Whittle, CNN, CNN and American voters, Faked news

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The Truth Versus CNN, Bill Whittle.com via YouTube, July 17, 2017

 

According to the blurb beneath the video,

For decades, conservatives have been complaining about bias in the media, but that wasn’t quantified until now. CNN’s fake news does more than get them ratings — its libel undermines the very nature of our democratic republic. In this Firewall, Bill Whittle lambasts the mainstream media for its toxic politicizing of the news and exposes the influence of media bias on elections.

U.S. Navy Tests World’s First Laser Weapons System

Posted July 18, 2017 by danmillerinpanama
Categories: Laser weapons system, U.S. military equipment, U.S. military technology, U.S. Missile defense, U.S. Navy

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U.S. Navy Tests World’s First Laser Weapons System, Washington Free Beacon, , July 18, 2017

(Can it be deployed by ground-based troops? — DM)

The U.S. Navy recently tested the world’s first-ever active laser weapons system, which is now deployed and ready for war.

The Laser Weapons System, or LaWS, is now deployed aboard the USS Ponce amphibious transport ship, where CNN was able to witness the system destroy a drone in flight and moving targets on the Persian Gulf.

The system has special materials that release photons, and, at the speed of light, it silently hits an object, burning it to a temperature of thousands of degrees. Each strike travels 50,000 times the speed of an incoming ICBM.

In one test, a drone’s wing caught fire after being hit by the LaWS, leading it to crash into the sea.

“We don’t worry about wind, we don’t worry about range, we don’t worry about anything else. We’re able to engage the targets at the speed of light,” Lt. Cale Hughes, a laser weapons system officer, told CNN.

“We’re doing that engagement at the speed of light so it really is a point and shoot—we see it, we focus on it, and we can negate that target,” he added.

Its cost per use is also quite impressive for such a revolutionary new weapon: approximately $1 per shot. The $40 million system requires electrical power and a three-man team.

The LaWS is also extremely accurate. The system can target a single component of an enemy target, such as a boat’s engine, and make it catch fire so that the entire vessel does not have to be destroyed and the Navy can avoid collateral damage.

“I can aim that at any particular spot on a target, and disable and destroy as necessary,” said Christopher Wells, captain of the USS Ponce. “It reduces collateral damage—I no longer have to worry about rounds that may go beyond the target and potentially hurt or damage things that I don’t want to hurt or damage.”

The system, whose strikes are silent and invisible, is currently active at sea, ready on the USS Ponce for an enemy. It is primarily intended to take on drones, aircraft, and small vessels that could be used in an attack from countries such as Iran and North Korea.

One of the weapon’s biggest strengths is its versatility.

“It’s not a niche weapon system like some other weapons that we have throughout the military where it’s only good against air contacts, or it’s only good against surface targets, or it’s only good against, you know, ground-based targets,” Wells said. “In this case this is a very versatile weapon, it can be used against a variety of targets.”

A second generation LaWS system is currently in development, CNN reported. The newer system is believed to be intended to take on faster targets such as incoming missiles.