Overview
- The Army‑led Joint Interagency Task Force 401 announced Monday that it chose systems from AeroVironment, Epirus, Kord and Boeing to join an operational directed‑energy pilot that moves testing from demonstrations to field evaluation.
- The four systems include two high‑energy lasers (AeroVironment’s Palletized HEL and Kord’s Firefly), Epirus’s Leonidas high‑powered microwave, and Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System, each designed to disable or disrupt unmanned aircraft without using traditional missiles or bullets.
- JIATF‑401 will run the pilot in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Northern Command after an FAA safety review at White Sands found minimal risk to the national airspace and a February miscommunication near El Paso exposed gaps in interagency procedures.
- A separate competitive shoot‑off at Dugway Proving Ground in December will let the task force assess more industry systems under operational conditions and allow immediate purchases of solutions that perform well in the trials.
- Officials say the pilot will gather data on requirements, costs, sustainment and safety because directed‑energy weapons can cut per‑engagement costs and offer deep magazines but are limited by weather, line‑of‑sight needs and the requirement to keep a beam on target, which will affect where and how they are deployed near communities and airspace used by civilians.