Army asking for white papers as it pursues counter UAS high-energy laser

The Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office is seeking to develop a high-energy laser that can defeat groups 1 through 3 unmanned systems, according to a government notice posted Wednesday asking vendors to submit white papers.

RCCTO is aiming to leverage industry in accelerating the “development and field testing of a producible and sustainable laser weapon system,” according to the Army. The weapon system will be designed to meet a counter UAS force protection requirement from the Army and will be compatible with existing air and missile defense architecture.

According to the notice, the laser will be able to deliver lethal effects against groups 1 through 3 UAS, which the Defense Department defines as those weighing less than 1,320 pounds.

The laser weapon system should be capable of “fixed site defense and/or integration onto an existing Army platform, such as a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle,” according to the Army. And it also must be interoperable with the service’s Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control.

RCCTO plans to issue a prototype award early in fiscal year 2025 and will choose a prime contractor in FY-26 for production following the development and demonstration effort, according to the notice. Once the program transitions to the Army’s Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space, it could use a middle tier acquisition rapid fielding approach to produce up to 20 laser weapon systems.

The government will give preference to vendors’ systems that are assessed at Technology Readiness Level 7 by the third quarter of FY-26 -- meaning that the prototype has been demonstrated in an operational environment.

Interested vendors are invited to an industry day at Redstone Arsenal, AL July 18, and white papers are due Aug. 7.

In a report accompanying the Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the FY-25 defense authorization bill, released earlier this week, lawmakers noted the threat posed by “Group 1 to Group 3+ unmanned aerial systems and UAS swarms, both to the Homeland and to U.S. military operations, installations, and personnel worldwide."

Senate authorizers stated in the legislation that the Pentagon must test directed-energy capabilities and servicemembers must be trained to operate directed-energy weapons before they can be deployed against UAS.

The committee has included a provision directing the defense secretary to brief the congressional defense committees by March 31, 2025 on the capability of the Pentagon to test directed-energy systems, and its plans to increase that capability. The briefing is to include a list of DOD test ranges that currently conduct directed-energy testing, along with information on any impacts the tests may have on the National Airspace System and the electromagnetic spectrum as well as a plan to “expand range support for DE testing and operations.”