Directed Energy Proven, Ready To Scale, Pentagon Official Says

A senior Pentagon technology official said directed-energy counter-drone systems have demonstrated practical utility and are ready to expand beyond limited deployments. High-energy lasers and high-power microwave weapons can provide deep magazines and low marginal engagement cost against suitable drones, complementing electronic warfare, guns and missiles within layered defense. Scaling remains an engineering and operational challenge rather than a solved procurement task: systems need reliable power, cooling, beam control, target-quality sensing and maintainable components, while weather and line-of-sight constraints mean commanders will still require multiple effectors for different threats and conditions.