The Pentagon is poised to sign a contract that would make a working laser weapon an official, permanent part of the US Army's arsenal for the first time in significant numbers, according to WIRED. The system, called the Enduring High Energy Laser, is intended for rapid deployment at bases around the world to defend against drone attacks, and the official announcement could come as early as this week. The deal follows more than 50 years of failed attempts to field laser weapons, WIRED reported.
A First for the Army Arsenal
The contract represents the first time the US military has committed to equipping its forces with laser weapons in significant numbers, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by WIRED. Mark J. Lewis, former Air Force chief scientist, told WIRED:
For years, lasers were going to be the future, and they never really came to their own. Now, they're actually coming to their own.
The Cost Case for Lasers
The push is driven in part by economics. During the early days of the Iran conflict, the US resorted to firing $4 million Patriot missiles at $35,000 Iranian drones — a waste of money that also depleted the American interceptor stockpile, WIRED reported. Modern lasers never run out of ammunition. "Basically, you can keep firing them as long as you've got power," Lewis said. He noted remaining technical challenges: "There are some other issues with lasers, including how rapidly you can refire and recharge. But if you solve those problems, then suddenly you've got a pretty nifty way to help counteract things like a drone swarm attack."
Deployments and Mishaps
The US military has already deployed or is actively testing a half-dozen laser weapons systems, according to the Laser Wars newsletter cited by WIRED. That field experience has been mixed:
- The Navy installed laser "dazzlers" on two ships to blind drones' electro-optical sensors.
- The Air Force's command for Europe and Africa sent Boeing's Compact Laser Weapons System "to locations across the theater."
- In late June, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to the Army's test range at White Sands, New Mexico, for a demonstration of directed-energy weapon projects.
- Four vehicles equipped with Raytheon air-defense lasers were yanked from the Middle East after poor reviews from soldiers.
- A laser built by AeroVironment, positioned along the southern US border, accidentally zapped a party balloon in February, causing the Federal Aviation Administration to briefly close the airspace around El Paso, Texas. Once reopened, the laser shot down a Border Patrol drone by mistake.
| System | Developer | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Laser dazzlers | US Navy | Installed on two ships |
| Compact Laser Weapons System | Boeing | Deployed to Europe/Africa theater |
| Air-defense lasers | Raytheon | Four vehicles pulled from Middle East |
| Enduring High Energy Laser | AeroVironment | Contract being negotiated |
Despite those mishaps, the accidental kill helped make the case for the laser, proving it could actually take out such a drone, WIRED reported.
The Drone Threat Behind the Contract
The contract comes after repeated failures to stop low-cost attack drones. On March 1, an Iranian drone killed six US service members and injured 30 others, according to WIRED. The Pentagon and its suppliers have fielded radio frequency jammers, microwave weapons, an array of missiles, drones designed to kill other drones, and even copies of Iranian robots — but none in isolation have been enough.
Validation and Next Steps
Pentagon and FAA officials went to White Sands less than a week after the March attack for a demonstration of the AeroVironment laser and assurances it could operate safely in crowded airspace, according to The New York Times as cited by WIRED. Lt. Gen Frank Lozano later said at a DC think tank event that the system had shown "a lot of recent promise and capability out at White Sands," and that the Army was "negotiating a contract with AeroVironment right now for the Enduring High Energy Laser system."
The move from experiments to a signed contract signals that directed energy has crossed a threshold. With the Pentagon set to field the Enduring High Energy Laser in and around bases worldwide, the Army's long search for a usable laser weapon appears to be entering service — not just as a prototype, but as an official part of the arsenal.
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