The real test is the guidance system, not the laser.
This is a real success - at range, detecting, targetting and then holding the target long enough to complete its destruction - that can be applied to the new electronic lasers too Or, if you want to really make the tinfoil brigade quiver in their boots, the guidance system will be sold by Boeing to be used with nuke-powered electronic lasers on ships, planes and even trucks. Whilst the Standard anti-sat missile is a very good option, it still has the disadvantage that a slow (and some would say vulnerable) ship has to be in the right spot, presumably within range of enemy anti-shipping missiles and aircraft, to complete the same task.
Whilst Lewis is never likely to admit the vulnerability of even the USN to air attack, it's a lot cheaper to build a laser into an articulated lorry load and have them drive around the US borders (and those of frienldy nations) than it is to put a whole fleet out to guard one missle destroyer. And then you can camouflague the laser artics to look like commercial vehicles and have them drive around amongst ordinary traffice, making them much harder for an enemy to spot them and neutralise them before launching their missile attack. Of course, you can't sy the same of a missle destroyer and attendant escorts.