Pentagon Selects Four Directed-Energy Weapons for Homeland Drone Defense Program

The Department of Defense has announced the selection of four advanced directed-energy weapons to be deployed and tested at U.S. military bases as part of a homeland counter-drone pilot program mandated by Congress. The chosen systems include AeroVironment’s Palletized High-Energy Laser, Epirus’ Leonidas high-powered microwave, Kord’s Firefly high-energy laser, and Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System.

Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401), an Army-led organization established last year to coordinate counter-drone efforts across various federal agencies and military branches, will oversee the pilot program. Brigadier General Matt Ross, JIATF-401’s director, emphasized that these high-energy lasers and high-powered microwave systems offer effective tools for layered drone defense strategies.

The pilot program aims to assess how well these technologies perform in real-world operational environments, gather data on their costs, maintenance requirements, and overall effectiveness. The selected bases include Fort Huachuca and Fort Bliss, both strategically located near the southern border; Naval Base Kitsap in Washington State; Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota; and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

AeroVironment’s Palletized High-Energy Laser is a roll-on, roll-off system designed for rapid deployment. The company successfully demonstrated its LOCUST laser weapon system aboard the USS George H.W. Bush in an October 2025 live fire exercise with the Navy and Army's rapid weapons development office. In September, AeroVironment was awarded a $464.8 million contract by the U.S. Army to produce its 30-kilowatt LOCUST X3 under the Enduring-High Energy Laser program.

Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) is noted for its lower power output but offers greater mobility and ease of deployment compared to higher-power systems. The system was tested extensively in Saudi Arabia, where it successfully defeated Group 3 drones during the Red Sands counter-drone exercise. Boeing highlighted that CLWS units have returned from a multiyear overseas deployment with the Marine Corps, though specifics about hostile drone engagements were not provided.

Kord’s Firefly high-energy laser, marketed as a scalable system ranging from 5 to 40 kilowatts and designed for mobile operation on trucks or other platforms, was showcased at an August demonstration near Guntersville Dam in north Alabama. The company highlighted the system's flexibility and potential for rapid deployment across different operational environments.

The primary benefits of these directed-energy weapons include their cost-effectiveness compared to traditional missile systems and the absence of unexploded ordnance on the ground, which is a significant advantage in densely populated areas or sensitive locations. However, concerns remain about the long-term costs associated with procurement and maintenance, as well as the potential impact of high-powered microwave systems on nearby electronic devices.

The pilot program’s findings will be crucial for informing future defense strategies against drone threats, potentially leading to broader implementation across U.S. military installations and critical infrastructure sites.