The UK Ministry of Defence announced investment in the development of advanced energy weapons, known as Directed Energy Weapons (DEW), which are powered solely by electricity and operate without ammunition. The systems could be fueled by a vehicle’s engine or a generator, significantly reducing their operating costs and providing flexibility.
This comes only a few days after the Ministry announced it was seeking to develop three new DEW demonstrators to explore the potential of the technology...
https://safety4sea.com/uk-invests-in-energy-weapons-for-the-royal-navy/