High Energy Laser Weapons, A clash between aviation regulators and t

High Energy Laser Weapons, A clash between aviation regulators and the US Defense Department over the use of high-energy lasers near the border led to an extraordinary 10-day closure of civilian airspace. [2] Raytheon’s high-energy laser systems use photons, or particles of light, to carry out military missions and civil defense. In 2019, the U. Directed energy weapons, such as high-energy lasers, could be used to shoot down drones, complete short-range air defense missions, and defend against rockets, artillery and mortar attacks, CRS said. McLEAN, Va. border, three of the Our Helldivers 2 weapon tier list ranks every gun, including primary weapons, Stratagems, and Warbond options HELSTF operates high-power lasers, while Desert Ship allows safe testing of missile systems and technologies in a controlled environment, advancing precision targeting, energy weapon research, and operational readiness. U. The US Army's directed energy solution for short-range air defense continues to be refined through a variety of competitive prototyping efforts. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems’ (GA-EMS) advanced solid state High Energy Laser (HEL) Weapon System provides proven laser technologies to enable the detection and defeat of an expanding range of targets, including unmanned aerial systems (UAS), missile threats, ISR systems, rockets, artillery, and mortars. Directed energy weapons offer a more cost-efficient means of dealing with fast-proliferating threats. In a new draft request for proposal (RFP) published on January 21, the Army’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires 1 laid out a requirement to “produce and rapidly field” up to 24 next-generation Enduring High Energy Laser (E-HEL) systems to counter hostile drones, a rare AeroVironment completed is acqusition of BlueHalo, the original developer of LOCUST, last year. The IRON BEAM high energy laser weapon system [HELWS] is designed to intercept a wide range of threats such as RAM and UAVs from a variety of distances. At LOCUST’s core is a 20-kilowatt-class laser directed energy weapon. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deployed a secret high-energy laser weapon system to combat drones on the southern border, but mistakenly fired at ordinary balloons, leading to a temporary flight restriction around the El Paso airport and chaos for passengers. Certified for use in combat, multiple additional systems are now in theater. Mar 25, 2025 · McLEAN, Va. The unexpected and ultimately short-lived flight ban near El Paso this week stemmed from disagreements within the federal government over the use of a high-energy laser weapon system to take down High-energy lasers are entering service, and a U. The Pentagon’s use of a high-energy laser to counter what officials thought to be a drug-cartel drone led the FAA to temporarily shut down all flights over El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday morning The Navy wants high-power microwave systems to help ships conserve other weapons, specially ones capable of downing ballistic missiles. Aug 8, 2025 · This is HELIOS, the High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance, and it represents a bold step into the future of military technology. In 2025, EOS secured the world’s first export contract for a 100 kilowatt-class high energy laser weapon with the Netherlands, marking a significant milestone in the deployment of laser-based counter-drone capability. The 300 kW-class High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS), previously developed by Lockheed Martin under the HELSI program, showcased the potential of directed energy weapons (DEW) in the US Army's efforts to integrate high-energy laser technology into existing defense systems. The 300kW-class High-Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) is being developed as part of the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI) programme to develop high-performance directed energy weapons (DEW) for the US Armed Forces and enhance their combat power against constantly evolving threats. Laser-based directed energy weapons generally have two primary types: low-power laser dazzlers that blind optical systems or human eyes, and high-power lasers that can physically damage or destroy targets, such as enemy aircraft and ammunition. Jan 17, 2026 · The future arrived on December 28, 2025 as the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) announced that Iron Beam became the first high-energy tactical laser weapon to be fully integrated and cleared for Jan 26, 2026 · The US Army is finally getting serious about putting high-energy laser weapons in the hands of American soldiers. 3 days ago · Directed energy weapons, such as high-energy lasers, could be used to shoot down drones, complete short-range air defense missions, and defend against rockets, artillery and mortar attacks, CRS said. Army solicitation document breaks down the expectations for their performance. This directed energy technology enables detection of threats, tracking during maneuvers, and positive visual identification to defeat a wide range of threats, including unmanned aerial systems, rockets, artillery and mortars. 0 at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The incident has sparked criticism from lawmakers over the lack of coordination between the FAA, Pentagon, and Department Last summer, the Army conducted a live-fire exercise using directed energy weapons alongside more traditional air defense systems at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. , (March 24, 2025) — HII (NYSE: HII) announced today that its Mission Technologies division was selected to develop an open architecture High-Energy Laser (HEL) weapon system for the U. Entering the 2020s, Defense Contractors are focusing on demonstrating ever more powerful laser weapon systems. If the technology can be matured, such systems could tip both the military and economic calculus of modern warfare in their users' favor. S. Officials and engineers Mortifying. Alongside KALI, India has been developing true high-energy laser weapons under its Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) initiatives. The post It Appears That Immigration Officials Caused the El Paso Airport Shutdown When They Panic-Fired a Powerful Laser Weapon at a Children’s Balloon appeared first on Futurism. Air Force deployed our first High-Energy Laser Weapon System, HELWS, overseas, and it has more than 25,000 hours of operation. . government's use of a high-energy laser weapon to take down drones near the Mexican border sparks FAA safety concerns and temporary flight restrictions. And that question, more than the laser itself, is what makes Iron Beam Laser such a disruptive force in 21st-century military technology. In 2017, the Army demonstrated the Mobile Expeditionary High Energy Laser 2. The High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) or Mk 5 Mod 0 HELIOS[1] is a Lockheed Martin -developed 60 kilowatt high-energy laser weapon designed to intercept combat drones, fast-attack craft, and missiles. Customs and Border Protection used a high-energy laser from the Pentagon earlier this week in the vicinity of El Paso, Texas, prompting concerns within the FAA and leading it to temporarily shut Ukraine has developed a silent, undetectable laser that can take out Russian drones as if “struck by invisible lightning” — and all at a fraction of the cost of similar high-tech weapons Ukraine has developed a silent, undetectable laser that can take out Russian drones as if “struck by invisible lightning” — and all at a fraction of the cost of similar high-tech weapons The U. The directed energy system is designed to counter drones and electro-optical threats, signaling Beijing’s push to compete in the Gulf’s growing demand for layered air defense solutions. The U. Backed with cutting edge advancements in Adaptive Optics technology, GA-EMS mitigates these distortions making the HEL a more effective end-to-end weapon system. Examples of the intended function of these systems are as follows: to defend military bases or battleships from drone attacks, defend a high-profile plane from attack, shoot down ICMB and hypersonic ballistic munitions, protect satellites in orbit, and even for use in air-to-air The US Army's new Enduring High Energy Laser (E-HEL) effort signals a shift from experimental prototypes to field-ready firepower. Confusion over flight restrictions Directed-energy weapon Police car equipped with an LRAD -500X sonic weapon (Warsaw, Poland, 2011) A directed-energy weapon (DEW) is a ranged weapon that damages its target with highly focused energy without a solid projectile, including lasers, microwaves, particle beams, and sound beams. military forces are well-along with demonstrating the value of directed-energy weapons such as laser weapons, high-power microwaves for tasks like counter-uncrewed systems The 300kW-class High-Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) is being developed as part of the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI) programme to develop high-performance directed energy weapons (DEW) for the US Armed Forces and enhance their combat power against constantly evolving threats. Business News EOS to scale high-energy laser production for weapons at Singapore site 10 Feb 2026 Australian developer of laser weapons technology says it has orders for 100 kW systems from two countries. - MTW8P7 from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. What Is the Iron Beam Laser System, and Why Was It Built? At its core, the Iron Beam Laser is a high-energy directed-energy weapon designed to intercept short-range aerial threats. In reality it is the latest point on a long, uneven curve of directed energy weapons development—an effort stretching from cold war laboratories to today’s drone-saturated battlefields EOS brings established counter-drone capability spanning kinetic and high energy laser effectors. Modifications to Air Force Special Operations Command's (AFSOC) fleet of AC-130 gunships means that even if a planned August test of the new Airborne High Energy Laser (AHEL) system aboard an AC The testing, which was taking place near Fort Bliss, was of high-energy lasers that are designed to protect against drones from drug cartels that could cross over the U. For high energy laser weapons, this reduces the effective kill range of the weapon. HII will develop and test a HEL prototype to acquire, track and destroy Groups 1-3 Unmanned Nov 3, 2025 · The Army has taken another step forward in its pursuit of new directed energy weapons that can zap small drones. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO). 30 to inform an Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) production effort, with an eye toward holding a competitive source selection as early as the second quarter of fiscal 2026. This is at the lower end of the power spectrum for this new era of laser directed energy weapons, and the system is explicitly geared toward the countering small drones mission set. The high-energy laser systems that are finding military applications are based on solid-state lasers that use special crystals to convert the input electrical energy into photons. Apparently, Bedford made the call after learning that the Pentagon planned to unleash high-energy, counter-drone laser weapons at Fort Bliss, situated right next to El Paso International Airport. New details have emerged about a disagreement between the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense that led to the brief airspace closure in El Paso, Texas. And last fall, the Army put out a request to industry for ideas on a counter-drone Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) weapon system. HII will develop and test a HEL prototype to acquire, track and destroy Groups 1-3 Unmanned The future arrived on December 28, 2025 as the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) announced that Iron Beam became the first high-energy tactical laser weapon to be fully integrated and cleared for High Energy Laser Weapon System General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems’ (GA-EMS) advanced solid state High Energy Laser (HEL) Weapon System provides proven laser technologies to enable the detection and defeat of an expanding range of land, sea, and air targets. AeroVironment completed is acqusition of BlueHalo, the original developer of LOCUST, last year. When a laser beam is propagated a long distance through the atmosphere, it becomes distorted. EOS’ high energy laser weapon provides a decisive response. Keywords: High Energy Laser weapons, chemical lasers, solid state lasers, free electron laser, beam control, adaptive optics, atmospheric propagation, target lethality, missions, scenarios. The Army wants laser weapons that can defeat drone threats, but it wants the ability to maintain them in battlefield environments and build them at scale. Unlike KALI, which focuses mainly on research and electromagnetic applications, laser DEWs are designed for direct battlefield use. The high-energy laser used to shoot down what ended up being a party balloon at the southern border, leading to the closure of the airspace above El Paso and parts of New Mexico, was AeroVironment's China National Precision Machinery Import and Export Corporation unveiled its LW 30 truck-mounted laser weapon system at the 2026 World Defence Show in Riyadh. The service issued a request for information on Oct. nLIGHT’s high-power directed energy lasers enable next-generation layered land and sea defenses that complement traditional kinetic defenses by offering a deep magazine, low cost per engagement, and speed-of-light delivery to defeat wide range of targets, including drones, rockets, artillery, mortars, and missiles. Electro Optic Systems has inaugurated a new center in Singapore to build high-energy laser weapon systems, establishing a regional hub to support international defense customers. EOS brings established counter-drone capability spanning kinetic and high energy laser effectors. Ukraine has quietly moved a science fiction idea into the center of its war with Russia, revealing a homegrown laser weapon meant to slice through incoming drone swarms. High-energy laser (HEL) weapon systems are a highly desirable solution to counter drones and missiles because they fire a narrow beam of electromagnetic energy, typically within the infrared to visible spectrum, at targets at the speed of light. The Pentagon had Wednesday 11 February 2026The United Kingdom’s Dragonfire programme is often presented as a sudden leap into the future, a clean alternative to the increasingly expensive arithmetic of missile defence. Designed to support the integrated air defence capabilities already being adopted by leading militaries, it draws on electrical power for effectively unlimited ammunition, delivers low cost per shot, and offers full directional coverage including vertical engagement. In response, defence establishments are accelerating the integration of high-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems into layered air defence architectures as a means to rebalance the cost-exchange equation. j62r, df8o, apnz, dpkb, tcjna, 3skukz, 3uzh4, pi5qy, iy6kxp, 8fkoq,