Washington, DC, October 6 (ANI): The US Department of War has chosen four high-energy laser and high-powered microwave weapon systems for operational evaluation, marking a significant step as Washington seeks to broaden its capabilities to counter growing unmanned aerial vehicle threats targeting the homeland.
The platforms will undergo assessment through a directed-energy pilot initiative managed by Joint Interagency Task Force 401, the military command tasked with coordinating strategies against small unmanned aircraft systems.
The selected platforms comprise AeroVironment’s Palletized High-Energy Laser, Epirus’ Leonidas High-Powered Microwave system, Kord’s Firefly High-Energy Laser and Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System.
The Pentagon disclosed the selections Monday, characterizing the initiative as the next phase in broader efforts to scale up the field use of directed-energy technologies.
Highlighting the strategic value of these capabilities, US Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, who directs JIATF 401, said, “High-energy lasers and high-powered microwave systems are tools that can be effectively used in a layered drone defense.”
Brig. Gen. Ross further noted, “This pilot program will test these capabilities in an operational environment so we can understand how best to integrate and sustain them to defend the homeland.”
Directed-energy weapons present an alternative to traditional projectiles and missiles when neutralizing aerial drones. While high-energy lasers focus intense thermal energy on specific targets, high-powered microwave platforms project electromagnetic pulses to disrupt internal electronic circuitry, providing an additional layer of protection against unmanned aircraft.
The Department of War noted that the Federal Aviation Administration, working alongside the task force, previously conducted a safety risk evaluation during a live-fire laser demonstration at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Following those trials, aviation authorities concluded that the technology posed negligible hazards to the National Airspace System and subsequently established procedural parameters for ongoing cooperation, according to the department.
Ensuring the safety of directed-energy assets remains paramount whenever such weapons undergo evaluation or potential deployment within domestic US airspace.
Emphasizing the tactical limitations of individual technologies, Brig. Gen. Ross said, “There is no silver bullet, or one size fits all solution to countering the threat of drones.”
He added, “Directed energy gives commanders another option within a layered defense, complementing existing counter-UAS capabilities with a scalable, safe, and effective way to respond to drone threats.”
The task force director explained that field testing will provide critical data needed to establish how these weapons might be deployed for domestic defense purposes.
Although these four weapons represent the initial cohort chosen for the pilot project, the Pentagon indicated that it will continue evaluating additional directed-energy technologies.
An independent directed-energy competitive demonstration is scheduled for December at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. The upcoming evaluation will assess alternative high-energy laser and microwave systems to identify potential candidates for future operational deployment.
Counter-drone defense mechanisms have become a major investment for the US armed forces as low-cost unmanned vehicles continue to demonstrate their ability to threaten military facilities, personnel and critical infrastructure. (ANI)
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