Army takes another step on path toward producing new drone-killing laser weapons
The service issued a request for information on Oct. 30 to inform an Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) production effort.
By
Jon Harper
November 3, 2025
The Army has taken another step forward in its pursuit of new directed energy weapons that can zap small drones.
The service issued a request for information on Oct. 30 to inform an Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) production effort, with an eye toward holding a competitive source selection as early as the second quarter of fiscal 2026.
Officials are also planning to host a technology demonstration at Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah in December and January to offer vendors an opportunity to participate in a test range event, according to the RFI.
The Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office has prototyped laser weapon systems for other projects such as Directed Energy Maneuver-Short-Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD). However, the E-HEL initiative is expected to be the service’s first program of record for this type of technology, according to an Army news release.
https://defensescoop.com/2025/11/03/army-enduring-high-energy-laser-ehel-rfi-counter-uas/
