Pentagon bets on lasers and microwaves to strengthen homeland drone defense

The US Defense Department has selected four companies for a pilot program to test directed-energy weapons for homeland defense.

The initiative will examine how high-energy laser and high-powered microwave systems can be used in operational settings against emerging threats.

The program is intended to give the military practical experience deploying, integrating, and sustaining these technologies outside laboratory and test environments.

The effort comes as the Pentagon explores new approaches to countering threats that could challenge existing defense systems and require faster, more scalable responses.

Directed energy trial

The US Defense Department has selected four directed-energy systems for a pilot program aimed at evaluating their use against drone threats in the US homeland.

The systems were selected under a requirement in the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The Army-led Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) will oversee the program and assess the technologies in operational environments.

The selected systems are 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 pilot will generate real-world data on the systems’ performance, requirements, costs, and deployment practices. The task force will also examine how the weapons can be integrated with existing counter-unmanned aircraft systems and sustained during operations.

“High-energy lasers and high-powered microwave systems are tools that can be effectively used in a layered drone defense. 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,” said Matt Ross, US Army Brig. Gen. and director of JIATF-401, in a statement.

JIATF-401 will work with the Federal Aviation Administration, US Northern Command and the military services as the systems are tested. Coordination with the FAA is particularly important because directed-energy weapons can operate in areas where civilian aircraft share the airspace.

US advances counter-drone

The need for such coordination became clear earlier this year after an incident involving a counter-drone laser near El Paso, Texas. The FAA temporarily closed airspace around the airport following a misunderstanding between federal agencies over the use of a laser operated by Customs and Border Protection. The system had been loaned by the Army.

Since then, JIATF-401 and the FAA have worked together to establish procedures for safely operating directed-energy systems. The agencies conducted a safety risk assessment during a live-fire high-energy laser demonstration at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

The FAA determined that the system presented minimal risk to the National Airspace System. The assessment also contributed to a framework for continued coordination between the agencies as directed-energy systems are used in counter-drone operations.

The Pentagon views the weapons as one component of a broader counter-drone network rather than a standalone solution. Directed-energy systems could complement other technologies by giving commanders additional options for responding to unmanned aircraft.

The four systems selected in the current phase are not expected to be the only technologies considered. The Pentagon and JIATF-401 plan to continue evaluating other directed-energy systems for potential operational use.

The task force is also preparing a directed-energy “shoot-off” at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah in December. Additional high-energy laser and high-powered microwave systems will be assessed during the event, with the results expected to help identify technologies that could be suitable for future deployment.

The December evaluation will give the Defense Department another opportunity to compare systems under operationally relevant conditions as it expands its assessment of directed-energy weapons for counter-drone missions.