High Energy Laser Advanced Technology Program

Mission— High Energy Laser Advanced Development

This project is part of an overall Department of Defense strategy in Joint directed energy advanced technology development. Efforts within this project will focus on scaling the output power of directed energy weapon systems to reach operationally effective power levels applicable to broad mission areas across the Department of Defense. Additionally, efforts will pursue improvements in common directed energy system components to enable scalable architectures and increase lethality. These efforts complement, and will be closely coordinated with, other Department efforts directed at specific Service and Agency missions. This project builds upon other investments in directed energy advanced technology development by the Services and Agencies to harmonize Department efforts and eliminate duplication. In support, efforts in this project have been coordinated with the Department of Defense Directed Energy and Non-Lethal Weapons Science and Technology Community of Interest. This project is executed via two technical programs and a new initiative within the JDETO. The first technical program is the Directed Energy Applied Tech Program, which enables (1) advanced technology development in high energy laser and high power microwave systems that support eventual prototype-level integration and (2) proof of concept tech demonstrations in a laboratory or field environment with Joint-international participation. The second technical program is the Directed Energy Tech Maturation Program, which enables (3) advanced prototypes in support of demonstrating mission-driven lethality and survivability and (4) test and evaluation in a relevant field environment with Joint-international participation. Note that (1)-(4) are in alignment with the near-, mid-, and long-term goals of Department of Defense Directed Energy Roadmap and enable transition. The new initiative is the Pulsed High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative. This initiative is also in alignment with the near-, mid-, and long-term goals of the Department of Defense Directed Energy Roadmap and is the result of mandatory funding in FY 2026.

Mission— High Energy Laser Advanced Development

This program is executed via the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office (JDETO) in alignment with the Department of Defense Directed Energy Roadmap, as well as other strategic guidance. Section 219 of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act designated a senior official for directed energy and redesignated a legacy office as the JDETO with reporting to the senior official. Currently, the Principal Director for Directed Energy serves as this senior official and updates the Department of Defense Directed Energy Roadmap on an annual basis. The goal of this program, in turn, is to support the Department’s initiatives in directed energy to build a sustainable and long-term advantage, in addition to a resilient joint force and defense ecosystem. This program funds advanced technology development in directed energy aimed at transitioning technology solutions for broadly defined military missions. These efforts include demonstrated performance pay-offs, increased capabilities, increased supportability, and increased affordability. In practice, directed energy weapon systems have many potential advantages, including speed-of-light time-to-target, high precision, low incremental cost per kill, and a magazine that is recharged through on-board, fuel-based power and thermal management systems that reduce logistics requirements in contrast to stocks of munitions or warheads. As a result, directed energy weapon systems have the potential to perform a wide variety of military missions. Activities conducted under this program will ultimately enable the employment of directed energy weapon systems.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (4)