War Department Selects Four Directed-Energy Systems for Counter-Drone Pilot

By garrisonvance // 2026-10-12

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The Department of War said it selected four high-energy laser and high-powered microwave systems for a counter-drone pilot program run by Joint Interagency Task Force 401, according to an Oct. 5 DOW statement. The four systems are laser weapon systems from Boeing, Kord, and AeroVironment, and a microwave system from Epirus, the statement said. The selections cover the pilot's next phase, which the department described as an operational evaluation of directed-energy weapons intended for the defense of U.S. installations. High-energy lasers and high-powered microwave systems are "tools that can be effectively used in a layered drone defense," U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of the task force, said in the statement. "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," Ross said.

Officials Describe Gaps in Counter-Drone Defenses

The selections followed a warning from Army Lt. Gen. Jarrard, vice commander of NORAD's United States Element, who said small unmanned aircraft systems are proliferating on the open market and pose a major security threat in the hands of malicious actors. He said NORAD does not have the decision speed to respond to swarms of small drones and that the command lacks sensors. "We are ill-equipped right now to handle something like that, and obviously we've seen it used," Jarrard said. "We're seeing it used on a daily basis around the world, and we've got to figure out how to mitigate that threat, but we're not there yet."

Hegseth Calls Drone Warfare Major Revolution

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called drone warfare the biggest battlefield revolution in many generations during a Sept. 30 address at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, according to the DOW statement [1]. Drones have played roles in the Ukraine-Russia war and the U.S.-Iran conflict. In August, Ukraine launched almost 800 drones against Russia, and Tehran has used drones to threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the statement said. Hegseth said the U.S. has relied for 40 years on expensive weapons, focusing on quality over quantity, and that it currently needs both quality and quantity. "We need bolts of lightning, high, our existing high-end kill chains, capable of striking unexpectedly and decisively," he said. "We also need steady wind and rain. Mass drones and other autonomous attrittable systems that flip the cost exchange and impose unrelenting pressure on an adversary on the battlefield." The remarks track a broader push on autonomous and directed-energy systems. The department has described other technology priorities including quantum computing for secure battlefield communications, scaled directed energy systems such as high-energy lasers and high-power microwave weapons, and the expansion of hypersonic capabilities for both offensive and defensive missions [2].

Pentagon Memo Directs Faster Approval for Counter-Drone Capabilities

Hegseth termed small unmanned systems the defining threat of the time and warned that DOW approval for anti-drone technology tends to be slowed by red tape. The memo requires the DOW to establish a process to cut approval times for anti-drone capabilities from months to weeks or days, according to the department. "We will not answer a fast-moving threat with a slow-moving bureaucracy," Hegseth said. The directive was among a series of contracting and policy moves on drone defense. The department has separately awarded agreements to accelerate high-energy laser development, including a combined $86 million to nLIGHT Defense and Lockheed Martin Aculight under the Joint Laser Weapon System program [3].

Pilot Program To Provide Data on Costs, Requirements

The latest pilot phase will test the performance of the directed-energy systems, providing real-time data and feedback on requirements, costs, and best practices, according to the DOW statement. The DOW said the selected laser and microwave systems are intended for integration into layered drone defense. No operational deployment timeline or locations were announced in the Oct. 5 statement. However, the department has previously said a directed-energy shoot-off would be hosted in December at Dugway Proving Ground to assess additional high-energy laser and high-power microwave systems [4]. The Epirus microwave system has been fielded before in a Marine Corps counter-swarm role, the Expeditionary Directed Energy Counter-Swarm system, which was adopted as a portable directed-energy weapon designed to neutralize drone threats [5].

Conclusion

The Oct. 5 selections mark the next phase of a counter-drone pilot by Joint Interagency Task Force 401, with Boeing, Kord, and AeroVironment providing laser systems and Epirus providing a microwave system, according to the DOW statement. The department said the pilot will generate data on requirements, costs, and best practices as officials weigh how to integrate the systems into homeland defense. Officials have said the effort comes as small drones proliferate and as adversaries field low-cost unmanned systems for surveillance and attacks.

References

War Department Expands Use Of High-Energy Laser And Microwave Capabilities. https://www.zerohedge.com/military/war-department-expands-use-high-energy-laser-and-microwave-capabilities
War Department shifts to 6 critical tech areas with AI-first... | Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/war-department-refocuses-ai-hypersonics-directed-energy-major-strategy-overhaul
Department of War Awards $86 Million to Lockheed Martin and.... https://www.thedefensenews.com/Department-of-War-Awards-86-Million-to-Lockheed-Martin-and-nLIGHT-for-Joint-Laser-Weapon-System-to-Strengthen-Cruise-Missile-and-Drone-Defense/
Systems Selected for JIATF 401 Directed-Energy Counter .... https://www.war.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/4619430/systems-selected-for-jiatf-401-directed-energy-counter-drone-pilot-program/
Marines deploy first high power microwave weapon to combat drone swarms - NaturalNews.com, May 01, 2025.

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