The U.S. Army is advancing its efforts to develop a cutting-edge laser weapon to counter enemy drones.
Virginia-based defense contractor Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced recently that it has been awarded a contract by the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) to build and test a High-Energy Laser (HEL) prototype. The contract amount was not disclosed.
According to the company, the laser will be designed to shoot down drones in flight, including large surveillance drones that weigh up to 1,320 pounds, fly at 250 knots (463 kph), and reach altitudes of 18,000 feet.
“The system will be capable of fixed-site defense and/or integration onto Army vehicles,” HII said. The timeline for the development and testing of the system has not been provided.
In addition to delivering a HEL prototype system, the company will also supply technical data aligned with a Modular Open Systems Approach architecture, which it says will enable future upgrades, promote subsystem competition, and ensure software interchangeability.
“We look forward to collaborating with the RCCTO on this important effort that will protect the warfighter with an affordable counter-UAS solution,” said Grant Hagen, president of HII’s Warfare Systems group.
The U.S. Army is expanding its directed energy arsenal by working with multiple defense firms to counter drone threats. In addition to its collaboration with HII, the Army is partnering with California-based defense startup Epirus Inc. to develop high-power microwave (HPM) technology.
Unlike traditional weapons that rely on costly missiles, the HPM system uses directed energy to disable enemy drones in milliseconds—without requiring bullets or explosions.
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Epirus has secured approximately $83 million in contracts with the Army. This includes an initial $66.1 million award in January 2023 for the delivery of Leonidas HPM prototype systems, followed by a nearly $17 million contract modification for system upgrades.
The company delivered its first Leonidas prototype to the Army in November 2023—just nine months after the contract was awarded—and completed all four system deliveries by March 2024. The Army is now testing Leonidas to evaluate its effectiveness in neutralizing drone swarms and other electronic threats.
