The Defense Department selected AeroVironment, Epirus, Kord, and Boeing to participate in a directed energy pilot program designed to expand the operational use of high-energy lasers and high-powered microwaves within the United States. The Army-led Joint Interagency Task Force 401 will manage the initiative, which was mandated by the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.
What it means
The task force will coordinate the pilot with the Federal Aviation Administration, US Northern Command, and the military services. This collaboration follows a February incident in El Paso, Texas, where the FAA temporarily closed airspace near the airport due to a miscommunication regarding Customs and Border Patrol’s use of an Army-loaned counter-drone laser. To address safety concerns, JIATF-401 partnered with the FAA for a risk assessment during a high-energy laser demonstration in New Mexico. That test indicated the system posed minimal risk to the National Airspace System and led to a joint agreement to deploy a laser system for southern border protection.
JIATF-401 will host a “shoot off” competition in December to evaluate the selected vendors’ systems. Solutions that perform well during this event could be purchased immediately. The Defense Department and the task force also plan to assess additional directed energy systems beyond the four currently selected. Brig. Gen. Matt Ross said the program will test these capabilities in an operational environment to determine how best to integrate and sustain them for homeland defense.
Key facts
- Four vendors selected: AeroVironment, Epirus, Kord, Boeing
- Program mandated by fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act
- Managed by Army-led Joint Interagency Task Force 401
- Coordination partners include FAA, US Northern Command, and military services
- February airspace closure in El Paso linked to counter-drone laser miscommunication
- New Mexico demo showed minimal risk to National Airspace System
- “Shoot off” evaluation scheduled for December
Source: Defense Department news release