Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
As high-energy lasers become weapons for countering small drones, the technology is on its way to demonstrating the potential to shoot down strategic threats.
Thanks to decades of fundamental research and a steady funding stream from a highly coordinated, defense-wide technology program launched in 2018, the Pentagon expects within the next year to:
- Procure the first 20-50-kW-class Enduring High-Energy Lasers (E-HEL) for the U.S. Army.
- Ramp up installations of the 60-150-kW High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (Helios), made by Lockheed Martin on the Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
- Demonstrate a 1-megawatt-class laser made by nLight, which is capable of shooting down ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
But U.S.-made high-energy lasers are matched or even exceeded by allies and adversaries. Israel integrated the family of 20-100-kW-class Iron Beam lasers made by Rafael, and China paraded the CASIC LY-1 weaponized laser in September for the People’s Liberation Army Navy fleet, which appears to boast twice the aperture size of the Lockheed Helios.
For this article and much more, subscribe to AWST magazine here: sub.aviationweek.com/aviation-week-space-technology-auto-subscribe?p=W5EPICKS
As high-energy lasers become weapons for countering small drones, the technology is on its way to demonstrating the potential to shoot down strategic threats.
Thanks to decades of fundamental research and a steady funding stream from a highly coordinated, defense-wide technology program launched in 2018, the Pentagon expects within the next year to:
- Procure the first 20-50-kW-class Enduring High-Energy Lasers (E-HEL) for the U.S. Army.
- Ramp up installations of the 60-150-kW High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (Helios), made by Lockheed Martin on the Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.
- Demonstrate a 1-megawatt-class laser made by nLight, which is capable of shooting down ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
But U.S.-made high-energy lasers are matched or even exceeded by allies and adversaries. Israel integrated the family of 20-100-kW-class Iron Beam lasers made by Rafael, and China paraded the CASIC LY-1 weaponized laser in September for the People’s Liberation Army Navy fleet, which appears to boast twice the aperture size of the Lockheed Helios.
For this article and much more, subscribe to AWST magazine here: sub.aviationweek.com/aviation-week-space-technology-auto-subscribe?p=W5EPICKS
