Pentagon selects four directed-energy weapons for counter-drone pilot at US bases

The Pentagon on Monday named four directed-energy weapons selected for a homeland counter-drone pilot program, marking the first systems the military will field and test at U.S. bases under a program ordered by Congress.

Selected Systems

The four systems are:

• AeroVironment – Palletized High-Energy Laser
• Epirus – Leonidas high-powered microwave
• Kord – Firefly high-energy laser
• Boeing – Compact Laser Weapon System

The pilot is run by Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401), the Army-led organization established last year to coordinate counter-drone efforts across the military and other federal agencies.

Program Objectives

“High-energy lasers and high-powered microwave systems are tools that can be effectively used in a layered drone defense,” said Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, the task force director. “This pilot program will test these capabilities in an operational environment so we can understand how best to integrate and sustain them to defend the homeland.”

The Defense Department stated the pilot will collect real-time data on:

• System performance
• Operational costs
• Maintenance and sustainment requirements

Ross said in August the pilot will run for one year, with service members operating and maintaining the weapons at the bases. The task force is coordinating with the services, U.S. Northern Command, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Pilot Locations

In May, JIATF-401 selected five sites for the pilot:

• Fort Huachuca, Arizona (southern border mission)
• Fort Bliss, Texas (southern border mission)
• Naval Base Kitsap, Washington
• Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota
• Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri

In August, Ross provided a different list, indicating the pilot would cover four bases: Grand Forks, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (Washington), Whiteman, and, he believed, Fort Bliss—adding that he would confirm the locations.

Officials said in May that deployment plans would be coordinated with installation commanders over 180 days, with operations expected later this year. Monday's release does not specify which system will go to which installation, how many units will be fielded, or the total cost of the systems or pilot. JIATF-401 did not respond to questions by the deadline, including whether all five May sites remain in the pilot.

Cost Considerations

Cost is a primary advantage for lasers and microwaves, and a key factor the pilot aims to evaluate. Firing one costs a fraction of the price of a missile or gun round, and neither leaves unexploded ordnance.

However, Ross expressed skepticism about per-shot cost calculations alone. “If I procure that system and it costs me $6 million and I take one shot a year, you can’t tell me that that shot only costs 8 cents,” he told reporters in August.

Threat Capabilities

Beyond cost, lasers and microwaves address different threats:

• High-energy lasers engage one drone at a time, focusing until they burn through the target.
• High-powered microwaves can neutralize a swarm of drones in a single burst by overwhelming their electronics, though their wider footprint raises concerns about effects on nearby systems.

System Details

AeroVironment – Palletized High-Energy Laser

The system is the company's LOCUST laser in a roll-on, roll-off configuration, packed onto a self-contained pallet that can be transported by truck or ship and set up as needed. In April, the company reported that a palletized LOCUST tracked and defeated target drones aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush during an October 2025 live fire exercise with the Navy and the Army's rapid weapons development office.

In September, the Army awarded AeroVironment a $464.8 million contract to produce its 30-kilowatt LOCUST X3 under the Enduring-High Energy Laser program, which the company called the first production contract for a U.S. directed-energy weapon. The Pentagon release does not specify whether the pilot systems are drawn from that procurement.

Boeing – Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS)

CLWS is a lower-power laser, which generally requires longer time on target to destroy it but allows for a smaller, more mobile system. Boeing said in 2024 that a 5-kilowatt CLWS defeated Group 3 drones (weighing up to approximately 1,320 pounds) at the Red Sands counter-drone exercise in Saudi Arabia, using targeting data from the Army's Forward Area Air Defense network. The company stated the system had defeated nearly 500 drones in testing and demonstrations at ranges from approximately 200 meters to 2.5 kilometers. Boeing also noted that CLWS units had returned from a multiyear overseas deployment with the Marine Corps but did not confirm engagement with hostile drones.

Kord – Firefly High-Energy Laser

A KBR subsidiary, Kord markets Firefly as a palletized, mobile laser scalable from 5 to 40 kilowatts. Company officials told reporters at an August demonstration near Guntersville Dam in north Alabama that a truck-mounted version typically requires a few seconds on target to down a small drone.

Epirus – Leonidas High-Powered Microwave

Leonidas is the only microwave counter-drone system in the pilot. It serves as the basis for the Army's prototype high-power microwave for defending troops and sites against drone swarms, part of the Indirect Fire Protection Capability program. The Army awarded Epirus $66.1 million in December 2022 for four prototypes and an additional $43.5 million in July 2025 for a second-generation version. Epirus said in September 2025 that a Leonidas disabled all 61 target drones across five scenarios at Camp Atterbury, Indiana, including a 49-drone swarm in a single burst.

Safety and Regulatory Context

The pilot follows a rough start for lasers in domestic airspace. In February, the FAA briefly closed the airspace over El Paso, Texas, after a counter-drone laser was used near Fort Bliss without coordinating with the FAA, as reported by the Associated Press.

To address safety concerns, defense and FAA officials held a live-fire demonstration in March at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. AeroVironment later confirmed the system tested was its LOCUST laser, the same family as the palletized system named in Monday's announcement.

On April 10, the FAA stated that a safety review found the laser systems tested, with proper safety controls in place, “do not pose undue risk to passenger aircraft.”

Future Plans

The department said it will continue evaluating other directed-energy technology and will host a shoot-off in December at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, for additional laser and microwave systems.

Ross said in August the shoot-off is being structured so that systems performing well “can immediately result in a purchase order that allows us to start building the production lines to get these systems into the field.”

Broader Context

The pilot is one component of a larger, ongoing effort. On September 29, the Army announced that JIATF-401 had awarded 10 contracts worth up to $4.15 billion combined for sensors, optical sights, and gun-based systems to support Domestic Shield—the initiative to protect priority Defense Department sites within the United States.

About the Author: Michael Scanlon is a defense journalist covering air and space warfare. A former U.S. Air Force A-10 crew chief, he has supported land and sea programs for the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.