Systems Selected for JIATF 401 Directed-Energy Counter-Drone Pilot Program

Oct. 5, 2026 |

The Department of War announced the directed-energy systems selected following the Joint Interagency Task Force 401's (JIATF-401) counter-unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) directed energy pilot program, marking the next phase of efforts to expand the operational use of high-energy laser (HEL) and high-powered microwave (HPM) capabilities across the homeland.

Systems selected for the pilot include:

• AeroVironment Palletized High-Energy Laser system
• Epirus Leonidas High-Powered Microwave system
• Kord Firefly High-Energy Laser system
• Boeing Compact Laser Weapon system

"High-energy lasers and high-powered microwave systems are tools that can be effectively used in a layered drone defense," said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF 401. "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."

Directed by the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, the pilot will evaluate these systems' performance providing real-time data and feedback on the systems' requirements, costs, and best practices.

JIATF-401 is conducting this pilot program in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Northern Command and the Services. Earlier this year, JIATF-401 partnered with the FAA to conduct a safety risk assessment during a live-fire HEL demonstration at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. As a result of this testing, the FAA determined that the system posed minimal risk to the National Airspace System and established a framework for continued coordination.

"There is no silver bullet, or one size fits all solution to countering the threat of drones," Ross said. "Directed energy gives commanders another option within a layered defense, complementing existing counter-UAS capabilities with a scalable, safe, and effective way to respond to drone threats. This pilot program will give us vital information in a real-world environment so we can employ these systems to protect the homeland."

While these systems represent the first capabilities selected for the pilot program, the DoW and JIATF-401 will continue to evaluate additional directed-energy technologies. In December, the Department will host a directed-energy shoot-off at Dugway Proving Ground to assess additional high-energy laser and high-powered microwave systems to identify promising capabilities for future operational use.

Army Lasers Blast Drones, Proving Directed-Energy Weapons Are Future

Aug. 28, 2026 | By C. Todd Lopez, Pentagon News |

Earlier this week, service members assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border used the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser system to stop three hostile, unmanned aircraft systems deemed a threat. They were believed to be linked to drug cartels. 

"The successful defeat of these adversarial drones is a direct testament to the readiness, vigilance and technological edge of the [joint task force]," said Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, Joint Task Force Southern Border commander. "By integrating layered countermeasures alongside advanced directed-energy capabilities like this laser system, we have made it clear that we will not tolerate hostile surveillance." 

The operation marks the first use of the laser system to defeat cartel-linked drones along the southern border. 

Using directed-energy weapons, such as this, is part of the future of warfare, a War Department official said.  

"The future of warfare obviously is going to include mass attritable drones," the official added.  

The department will procure hundreds of thousands of drones as soon as next year, as well as counter-UAS technology, including directed-energy systems. 

"The department is proliferating directed-energy technology to protect the homeland and the southern border," the official said. "And [U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Border are] deploying these capabilities to take out any ... cartel drones that are doing incursions at the border." 

Directed-energy weapons, such as lasers, can be used to take out both drones and incoming cruise missiles, at a much lower cost than using more expensive kinetic weapons like missiles. Developing scaled directed energy weapons systems, such as what was used at the border, is one of the department's six critical technology areas.  

The other areas include: applied artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing, contested logistics technologies, quantum and battlefield information dominance, and scaled hypersonics. 

"[Directed-energy systems are] low cost per shot, with deep magazines and they can come out against drone swarms," the official said. "That's something that's different than a traditional kinetic system. It's good for the cost-exchange ratio because ... it's better than us firing a $2 million missile at [an inexpensive] drone." 

The use of directed-energy weapons on drones is also in line with the department's counter-drone effort, the official noted. 

By integrating layered countermeasures alongside advanced directed-energy capabilities like this laser system, we have made it clear that we will not tolerate hostile surveillance."

Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, Joint Task Force Southern Border commander

In June, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, where he observed a variety of directed-energy systems in operation, including the first milestone test of the Golden Dome for America. 

"Cutting-edge directed energy was harnessed, and the Dynamic Defense Autonomous Defeat system flawlessly and autonomously cued, targeted and eliminated a multitude of incoming threats," the secretary said. "This test was executed on schedule and dynamically defeated every threat. I watched our elite warfighters integrate with next-generation technology to stop incoming drones and cruise missiles dead in their tracks." 

In July, the War Department awarded two agreements under the Joint Laser Weapon System program to advance the next-generation cruise missile and unmanned aerial system defense architecture. The agreements have an initial award value of $86 million and a total program ceiling of $847 million. The Joint Laser Weapon System program is meant to transition directed-energy capabilities from demonstration prototypes into field-ready, production-oriented platforms. 

"We must actively defend the homeland against emerging threats," said Emil Michael, undersecretary of war for research and engineering and chief technology officer for the War Department. "We are partnering with industry to rapidly deliver deep magazine directed energy capabilities to the joint force that can be seamlessly deployed across multiple domains."