the laser defense is tried, tested and fully operational... I read an article several years ago, they mounted one of these lasers on an M1 chassis... mounted it where the turret was, it looked like a huge searchlight on a tank.. anyway, 25 miles away they lit off a 155mm howitzer.... this thing tracked the projectile and shot it down IN FLIGHT... not once but 3 times in a row..
remember when north korea lit off it’s new ballistic missile and it self destructed? They immediately lit off a bunch of smaller ones that mysteriously self destructed also?
My guess is that our aircraft mounted laser system shot them down...
the aircraft carrier is obsolete, but so is the ballistic missile....
Wiki Boeing YAL-1