Pentagon fields laser and microwave weapons at five US bases to stop drone swarms
The Pentagon has begun fielding high-energy laser and high-power microwave systems at five US military bases to counter drone swarms. On June 23, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watched five directed energy systems fire live at White Sands Missile Range, with lasers ranging from 2
The Pentagon has begun fielding high-energy laser and high-power microwave systems at five US military bases: Fort Huachuca, Fort Bliss, Naval Base Kitsap, Grand Forks, and Whiteman Air Force Base. On June 23, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watched five directed energy systems fire live at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, including lasers from AeroVironment $AVAV, nLight $LASR, and Lockheed Martin $LMT ranging from 20 to 300 kilowatts, plus high-power microwave systems from Epirus and Raytheon (RTX $RTX). The appeal is cost: a laser shot or a microwave pulse costs a fraction of an interceptor missile, and one Air Force system called THOR fits in a 20-foot container, runs off a wall plug, and sets up in about three hours. The Department of War says the shift is from experimentation to execution, and that it is now scaling directed energy weapons. Sources: Task & Purpose, Army Recognition, Stars and Stripes, DefenseScoop.