‘Weaponized light’: KBR’s new base defense technology pits lasers against drones

KBR's Kord Technologies business is preparing a mobile high-energy laser counter-drone system, known as Firefly, for a one-year military base-defense evaluation. The transportable installation combines target-detection inputs, electro-optical tracking and computer-assisted aiming with a directed-energy weapon intended to disable small unmanned aircraft. Operators retain responsibility for engagement decisions, with a familiar game-style controller available to manage the system and its sensors. The planned trial will examine practicality and performance at military sites, but selection for evaluation is not a production procurement or a demonstrated ability to defeat simultaneous drone swarms.