The United States finalized two Joint High Energy Laser Weapon System contracts with nLIGHT Defence and Lockheed Martin Aculight on 9 th July 2026. This programme’s first contract awards are worth around $86 million, and its potential value is $847 million. With the help of this experimental display to be production-ready to oppose drone technologies along with travelling defence systems. High-energy lasers should be operating at the power range between 150 kilowatts for current designs and between 300 and 500 kilowatts required for advanced cruising defence engagement targets. Another incorporated system to operate at 500 kilowatts would be designed with the aid of tech established by the High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative.
Unlike interceptors, laser-powered weapons fire with no projectiles, travelling at the speed of light, and don’t need to launch missiles with every shot. So long as you have electricity for power, and a way to cool it down, a laser can have almost an effectively infinite capacity, and relatively low per-shot costs, perfect for swarms of large drones. The laser weapons will be relatively large and come in a modular, containerised format for placement on top of ground-based vehicles and for warships. The major hurdles to overcome include the effects of intervening air on the beam, focusing the weapons, getting it to cool down effectively, and consistently generating enough electricity.
