The U.S. Department of Defense has selected four companies for a pilot program testing directed-energy weapons in an operational setting. The initiative aims to expand the use of high-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems to defend the U.S. homeland.
Mandated by the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, the program will be run by the Army-led Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401).
Four systems selected for the pilot
The selected companies and systems are:
- AeroVironment — Palletized HEL system;
- Epirus — Leonidas high-power microwave system;
- Kord — Firefly HEL system;
- Boeing — Compact Laser Weapon System.
Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401, said operational testing would help officials determine how best to integrate and sustain the systems for homeland defense missions.
Aviation coordination follows El Paso incident
Testing will be conducted in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Northern Command and the military services.
The partnership follows a February incident in which the FAA temporarily closed airspace around El Paso International Airport after federal agencies miscommunicated about Customs and Border Protection’s use of a counter-drone laser. Officials later determined that the system had been loaned by the Army.
Since then, JIATF-401 and the FAA have conducted a risk assessment during a high-energy laser demonstration in New Mexico. The Pentagon said the test found minimal risk to the National Airspace System and resulted in a joint agreement on using a laser system to protect the southern border.
Major demonstration scheduled for December
JIATF-401 plans to hold a competitive “shoot-off” in December, where systems will be tested and compared. Solutions that perform well could be purchased immediately, Ross previously said.
The Pentagon and the task force may also evaluate additional directed-energy systems at the demonstration, beyond the four selected for the pilot.
