The U.S. military has developed a new weapon that can be controlled using an Xbox 360 controller, Game Spot reported.
Officially dubbed as the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD), this new weapon is a high-energy photo canon attached to a military truck.
The HEL MD can be manned by a two soldiers: one drives the truck while the other tracks down and takes out targets using an Xbox controller connected to a laptop, according to IGN.
HEL MD is the product of a decade-long collaborative project between the U.S. Army and Boeing's defense and security division.
According to Kurt Warden, Boeing's head of software development, he and his team decided to go with an Xbox controller because it doesn't require extensive training to use. Since it's a familiar component of a popular gaming console, soldiers can easily adapt to its configuration.
"We want to be able to run it using a single guy, from a single laptop, with an Xbox controller," Warden explained. "Something that he doesn't have to go to school to learn for years and years, but something he knows how to use instinctively."
HEL MD was designed by the U.S. Army and Boeing as a defense weapon against aerial-based threats such as missiles and drones.
The current prototype of the HEL MD is designed using a 10-kilowatt energy laser mounted on a tactical vehicle. At this energy level, the laser is able to produce enough heat on to a target to destroy or deactivate it.
The U.S. Army recently rolled out the HEL MD at an air force base in Florida to test its weapon system. The prototype successfully engaged and destroyed more than 150 targets which included UAV drones and 60mm mortars, Wired reported.
According to military officials, they will upgrade HEL MD's laser system to 50 or 60 kilowatts in order to increase its power to take out larger and more powerful targets such as various types of missiles and rockets.