Will 2026 be military lasers' breakthrough year?
10 days ago
- #directed-energy
- #army-innovation
- #military-technology
- The Army is set to award a production contract for vehicle-mounted high-energy air-defense lasers in 2026.
- 17 prototype systems using directed energy to counter drones, rockets, and missiles have been developed.
- Testing in the Middle East with 50-kilowatt Raytheon lasers on Strykers led to a $679M budget request for 44 Strykers.
- The contract competition is open to multiple companies, not just Raytheon.
- Soldiers prefer proven missile systems over lasers, citing reliability and effectiveness concerns.
- Challenges include limited range and power, especially in particulate-heavy environments.
- Unmanned ground vehicles are being considered to deploy lasers closer to threats while keeping soldiers safe.
- Army leadership fully supports directed-energy development, pushing for innovative solutions to current limitations.