Army plans 24 high‑energy lasers

The U.S. Army is moving a high-energy laser effort from experimentation toward procurement, with Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano saying on July 15 that the service is negotiating a contract with AeroVironment for the Enduring High Energy Laser, or E-HEL, program. Lozano described E-HEL as the Army’s first program of record for a new family of high-energy lasers intended to defeat airborne threats, primarily drones. Separate reporting this week said the Army’s initial requirement is for up to 24 systems. The Pentagon is pushing the technology at the same time across multiple programs. On July 9, the Defense Department announced $86 million in other transaction agreements to nLIGHT Defense and Lockheed Martin Aculight for the Joint Laser Weapon System, a program aimed at countering drone swarms and cruise missiles. Defense officials said the appeal of directed-energy systems includes high-speed engagement, low cost per shot and “deep magazines.” (breakingdefense.com) ### Where does the Army’s 24-system figure come from? Firstpost reported on August 5 that the Army plans to procure up to 24 E-HEL systems as the service shifts the program toward frontline deployment. Breaking Defense reported on July 15 that Lozano said the Army was in contract negotiations with AeroVironment, though that article did not specify a quantity. Wired separately described the pending E-HEL deal as a step that would formally add laser weapons to the Army’s arsenal. (defensescoop.com) AeroVironment has been tied to the effort through its LOCUST family of counter-drone laser systems. DefenseScoop reported on July 2 that the company has marketed the system as a lower-cost option against drones, with chief executive Wahid Nawabi saying a laser shot can cost as little as $3, compared with far higher interceptor costs for some conventional air-defense weapons. (firstpost.com) ### Why is the Pentagon putting lasers into air defense now? The July 9 Pentagon announcement tied the laser push directly to drone swarms and cruise missiles. Emil Michael, the Defense Department’s chief technology officer, said the department was working with industry to “rapidly deliver deep magazine directed energy capabilities to the Joint Force” across domains. Budget documents cited by DefenseScoop said JLWS is intended to build and demonstrate an operationally relevant capability in a platform-neutral package while reducing non-recurring engineering costs for service acquisition. (defensescoop.com) The threat picture has been reinforced by recent operations in Europe. Stars and Stripes reported on July 31 that U.S. Air Forces in Europe had deployed Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System to undisclosed sites as part of a layered defense network combining electronic warfare, laser weapons and kinetic interceptors. Lt. Gen. Jason Hinds said commanders had been equipped and trained with enhanced systems to defend their forces. (defensescoop.com) ### What is the Air Force doing with Boeing’s system? USAFE-AFAFRICA said on July 22 that it is fielding and testing new counter-UAS equipment across Europe and Africa as part of an integrated defense architecture. The command said the effort responds to a growing unmanned-aircraft threat to installations and personnel. Col. Victoria Habas said “inexpensive and highly adaptable UAS technology can hold any installation or operating location at risk,” while Jason Parker said there is “no single ‘silver bullet’ for the counter-UAS challenge.” (stripes.com) Stars and Stripes identified the deployed laser as Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System and said it is being used inside a broader air-defense architecture rather than as a standalone tool. The Air Force did not identify the locations for operational security reasons. ### How far is the department trying to scale laser weapons? The Joint Laser Weapon System prototypes are expected to provide about 150 kilowatts of power initially, according to the Pentagon announcement reported by DefenseScoop. (usafe.af.mil) The department said later iterations are planned to reach 300 to 500 kilowatts for cruise-missile defense, while a 500-kilowatt integrated system is also to be developed using work from the High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative. (stripes.com) Late August is Lozano’s public target for an Army award on the related Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher program, and the E-HEL contract negotiations he disclosed on July 15 remain a near-term milestone for the service’s laser effort. In Europe, USAFE-AFAFRICA said training and fielding of counter-UAS systems are continuing under installation commanders and theater air-defense planners. (breakingdefense.com) (defensescoop.com)