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yesterday

Army Moves to Add High-Energy Laser to Base Defenses

Reported procurement would shift laser weapons from testing into fielded systems to help stop low-cost, hard-to-jam drone threats.

Left, an AeroVironment directed energy laser weapon system on display at Modern Day Marine in April, 2026. Right, a photo of an M1301 Infantry Squad Vehicle equipped with what appears to be a directed energy weapon near the U.S.-Mexico border in July 2025.
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Overview

  • Multiple outlets report the Defense Department is expected to award a contract soon for the Enduring High Energy Laser, though officials have not publicly confirmed the decision.
  • The Army issued a draft solicitation seeking industry feedback on the reasonableness and feasibility of producing and fielding up to 24 systems, according to reporting.
  • The Pentagon deferred questions to the Army and an Army spokesperson declined to comment, leaving the program’s acquisition details and timeline unconfirmed.
  • The push for lasers follows battlefield experience in Ukraine and the Middle East showing small, inexpensive drones can bypass jamming and overwhelm traditional interceptors.
  • Past directed-energy efforts faced technical and integration problems such as power generation, cooling, targeting, and vehicle integration, so the Army is designing the Enduring High Energy Laser to learn from those failures and scale carefully.