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DoD Plans Counter-Drone Laser Shoot Off In December
The Department of Defense plans a counter-drone demonstration in December 2026 focused on commercially available high-energy laser systems. Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering will oversee the event, which will assess selected systems against small unmanned aircraft under operationally relevant conditions. Vendors will be evaluated on the effectiveness and deployability of their solutions, supporting the Pentagon’s effort to accelerate fielding. The shoot-off reflects growing demand for scalable, low-cost defenses against proliferating drone threats.