Army orders up to 24 lasers

The U.S. Army is moving toward a production purchase of up to 24 Enduring-High Energy Laser, or E-HEL, systems as it tries to turn years of directed-energy experimentation into a fielded counter-drone capability. A 2025 industry-day notice on SAM.gov said the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office was preparing an E-HEL production effort in fiscal 2026, and reporting this week said draft solicitations call for as many as 24 standardized systems for base defense. (firstpost.com) (breakingdefense.com) Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano, the Army’s portfolio acquisition executive for fires, said on July 15 that the service was “negotiating a contract” with AeroVironment for E-HEL. Breaking Defense described E-HEL as the Army’s first program of record for a new family of high-energy lasers aimed primarily at airborne threats, especially drones. (stripes.com) The Air Force is moving on a parallel track. U.S. Air Forces in Europe–Air Forces Africa recently deployed Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System, or CLWS, to help defend bases against drones, according to Stars and Stripes and Axios. ### Why does the “24 systems” number matter? (sam.gov) The Army’s stated ceiling of 24 systems matters because it is a procurement quantity, not a one-off demonstration target. The SAM.gov notice from September 2025 said the Army wanted to brief industry on an “E-HEL production requirement” and gauge interest in an anticipated fiscal 2026 production effort. Firstpost, citing draft solicitations and earlier reporting, said the Army wants to verify industry feasibility for producing and fielding up to 24 standardized E-HEL systems for immediate operational base defense. (breakingdefense.com) Wired described the pending deal as one that would formally add laser weapons to the Army’s arsenal. (stripes.com) ### What is the Army actually trying to defend against? The Army’s target set is small airborne threats, above all drones. Breaking Defense reported that E-HEL is designed to take down airborne threats, primarily drones, while earlier Army reporting on directed-energy exercises at Fort Sill described laser systems as part of air defense against unmanned aircraft systems. (sam.gov) That focus reflects the economics of counter-drone defense. Boeing says its CLWS offers a low cost per shot and an “unlimited magazine,” language that defense officials and contractors have long used to distinguish lasers from missile interceptors against cheap, numerous targets. (firstpost.com) ### Why are these systems still hard to field? Boeing’s own test descriptions show why directed-energy systems remain engineering-heavy even after years of development. In October 2024, Boeing said a 5-kilowatt CLWS defeated Group 3 drones at the Red Sands exercise in Saudi Arabia after integration with the Army’s Forward Area Air Defense command-and-control network and radar cues. The company said the system was tuned in “desert heat, dust, atmospherics,” conditions that affect beam performance and target engagement. (breakingdefense.com) Those conditions go directly to the core technical problems operators still have to solve: holding a beam on a moving target long enough to cause damage, generating and managing enough electrical power, shedding heat, and coping with weather, dust and other atmospheric interference. (boeing.com) Boeing’s product material says CLWS is modular and deployable in fixed, containerized and mobile configurations, but field use still depends on the surrounding sensors, power and command networks. ### What has the Air Force already put in the field? U.S. Air Forces in Europe–Air Forces Africa has deployed CLWS to undisclosed locations in Europe as part of layered counter-drone defenses, according to Stars and Stripes. (boeing.com) Axios separately reported that the Air Force had recently deployed laser weapons overseas. Boeing says CLWS is already “warfighter deployed” and has defeated nearly 500 drones in demonstrations, tests and deployments. In 2024, the company said CLWS had returned from a multiyear overseas deployment with the U.S. Marine Corps and had engaged larger Group 3 drones in Saudi Arabia. (boeing.com) ### What comes next in the Army program? Lozano said on July 15 that the Army was in contract negotiations with AeroVironment for E-HEL, placing the next milestone on the award itself. The earlier SAM.gov notice tied the production effort to fiscal 2026, and the Army’s industry-day schedule included a production overview, demonstration overview and contract overview for vendors. (stripes.com) Any award would give the Army its first program-of-record laser family for counter-drone defense, according to Breaking Defense. The Air Force, meanwhile, is already using Boeing’s CLWS in Europe, giving the Pentagon two separate directed-energy efforts to watch as fielding decisions continue through 2026. (breakingdefense.com) (boeing.com)