US Armys Laser Obsession Continues With Yet Another Drone-zapper Deal

Still shopping for the perfect death ray, the US Army has tapped Huntington Ingalls to build and test a prototype laser weapon designed to fry drones in flight.

Virginia-based Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced yesterday that it has been awarded a contract by the US Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) for an undisclosed sum to develop and test a high-energy laser (HEL) weapon system. It is intended to shoot down unmanned aircraft ranging from small, low-flying drones to larger surveillance models.

HII's system is being designed to take out drones weighing up to 1,320 pounds (about 600 kg), flying at speeds of up to 250 knots (463 kph), and operating at altitudes as high as 18,000 feet (5,500 m) above sea level - classified as "group 3" unmanned aerial systems (UAS). 

"We look forward to collaborating with the RCCTO on this important effort that will protect the warfighter with an affordable counter-UAS solution," said HII's Grant Hagen, president of Mission Technologies' Warfare Systems group at Huntington Ingalls. 

Beyond dropping considerably large drones, the Army's solicitation also calls for a system that can operate in both fixed-site and vehicle-mounted configurations, integrate with existing Army networks, support modular design for field repair and parts swapping, and include built-in cybersecurity protections.

All that, and there's a tight timeline too: the RCCTO wants sensor and laser lethality characterization testing in the first quarter of FY2025, a lab demo in Q2 FY25, an integrated system field test in Q3, and a Soldier Touch Point event in Q1 FY26 - which kicks off in October 2025. The program's goal is to pick a prime contractor for production in the first quarter of FY26, with a potential transition to producing up to 20 laser weapon systems by the third quarter of FY26 under a separate Production OTA award.

Whether those early testing milestones are on track is unclear. HII only just announced the contract and declined to share information outside of what was given in the press release. 

What about that other anti-drone laser system?

The Army has had laser weapons capable of neutralizing unmanned aircraft since 2022 in the form of BlueHalo's LOCUST system developed through the Laser Technology Research Development and Optimization (LARDO) program. 

The current LOCUST system delivers "hard kills" with a 20-kilowatt beam, meaning it can physically destroy drones mid-flight. The Army signed another contract with BlueHalo last year to develop advanced directed energy prototypes with increased automation, efficiency, ruggedization, and improvements in size, weight, and power. 

Lockheed Martin also demonstrated its own vehicle-mounted 50 kW laser system way back in 2023, highlighting the Army's growing list of laser zapper projects and raising questions about how - or if - they're meant to complement each other.

With HII declining to explain how its weapon system differed, the only available clue comes from the solicitation, in which the RCCTO mentions it wants "to expedite the development and field testing of a producible and sustainable laser weapon system," suggesting rapid prototyping and fielding is the objective. 

We've reached out to the Army with questions, but haven't heard back. ®