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Directed-energy weapons (DEWs) use concentrated electromagnetic energy to affect a target. Militaries are developing and testing them, especially for counter-drone missions, but prototypes and ambitious power targets are not the same as widely fielded weapons. Their usefulness depends on the target, weather, range, available power, cooling, and whether a system can make the difficult transition from testing to operational service.
What counts as a directed-energy weapon?
Directed energy is a family of weapons, not one device. The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) describes DEWs as systems that use concentrated electromagnetic energy to affect forces or assets. Depending on the system and target, the intended effect may range from temporary electronic degradation or dazzling to physical damage or destruction.
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The distinction matters: a system that disrupts electronics is not doing the same job as a laser intended to damage a drone. Nor does a successful demonstration establish that a weapon is reliable, affordable, or ready for routine service. To assess a DEW, ask what it is designed to affect, how narrowly or broadly it acts, and what stage of development it has reached.
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How do the main types differ?
| Type | How it is used | Typical targeting pattern | Key qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-energy laser (HEL) | Directs a concentrated laser beam at a target, with effects that can include dazzling or physical damage. | Narrow beam, typically aimed at one target at a time. | Fog and storms can reduce range and beam quality; performance depends on the system and conditions. |
| High-power microwave (HPM) | Uses microwave energy to affect electronics. | Broader-area effect may suit some area-defense missions and can potentially affect multiple targets. | Broader effects create risks for friendly as well as hostile assets in the affected area. |
| Millimeter-wave weapon | Uses millimeter-wave electromagnetic energy to affect a target. | Broader beam than a typical HEL; may affect an area rather than a single point target. | The exact effect and suitability depend on the weapon and mission; it should not be treated as interchangeable with HPM or a laser. |
These are broad categories, not guarantees about every system. The GAO and Congressional Research Service (CRS) describe lasers as relatively precise, while microwave and millimeter-wave systems can cover a broader area. That makes “which is better?” the wrong general question: the relevant comparison is whether a particular system can produce the intended effect on the intended target under real operating conditions.
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Why are militaries interested in DEWs?
Countering drones
Counter-drone defense is a major driver of current interest. GAO states: “There is a surge in interest in directed energy weapons from several nations—including the U.S.—primarily for counter drone missions.” A laser may offer a way to engage a specific target; a broader-area system may be considered when several targets or a wider defended area matter. Neither approach removes the need to detect, track, identify, and decide how to engage a target.
Potential advantages, with conditions
- Speed of engagement: Electromagnetic energy travels at light speed, although sensing, tracking, aiming, and delivering enough energy to create the desired effect still take time.
- Potentially lower marginal shot cost: Some DEWs may cost less per engagement than a conventional missile, but there is no universal cost-per-shot figure established here. The weapon, platform, maintenance, power, and operating conditions all matter.
- Less dependence on conventional ammunition: A system with sufficient electrical power may avoid some conventional ammunition limits. It still depends on a functioning power supply, thermal management, and the platform carrying the equipment.
- Graduated effects: Some systems may support effects such as dazzling before more destructive action. That possibility is not a guarantee of a particular system’s precision, reliability, or suitability for a given use.
These are potential benefits, not universal properties. Range, line of sight, atmosphere, target characteristics, power, and mission can change the result.
Are directed-energy weapons being used today?
Publicly described U.S. efforts include systems in development and testing, but the available reporting does not establish widespread operational fielding. In its primer updated January 7, 2026, CRS said the Department of Defense was not known to have DE programs of record. A program of record is an acquisition status; the absence of one does not mean there has been no research, testing, or investment.
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What U.S. program figures do—and do not—show
| Fiscal year | Figure reported by CRS | What the figure means |
|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | $962.4 million requested; $1.1 billion appropriated | The request and appropriation are different budget measures, not counts of deployed weapons. |
| FY2025 | Approximately $789.7 million requested for unclassified Department of Defense DE programs | A request for unclassified programs; it does not establish the total for classified activity or prove fielding. |
| FY2026 | No topline provided in the CRS primer updated January 7, 2026 | The primer does not establish a later FY2026 total. |
Army efforts described by GAO
GAO’s Army modernization review describes DE M-SHORAD as incorporating a 50-kilowatt-class laser on a Stryker. That figure identifies the class of laser in that effort; it is not a general benchmark for all DEWs. The same review describes the Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) effort as including a 300-kilowatt-class high-energy laser and a high-power microwave variant under development.
For IFPC HEL, Army officials delayed a transition decision to gather more testing, integration, and user data. GAO reported that officials said the effort might not transition. A system’s power class or development milestone should therefore not be read as evidence that it has entered operational service.
Roadmap targets are not achieved performance
CRS reported that a Department of Defense roadmap dated May 17, 2024, planned to move from around 150 kW to 500 kW in the 2025–2030 timeframe, with megawatt levels later. These are roadmap targets, not confirmation that systems at those power levels have been built, tested successfully, or fielded. More output power alone would not settle questions of beam quality, efficiency, cooling, platform integration, or mission effectiveness.
Selected international reporting
CRS’s primer discusses selected unclassified programs in the United States, China, and Russia. It attributes reports of China’s road-mobile 30-kW LW-30 laser and other developments to U.S. government and commission sources, and relays U.S. intelligence assessments about Chinese systems directed at satellite sensors. These are attributed reports and assessments, not independently verified performance claims. CRS also describes Russian research and the Peresvet system while noting that some details remain unclear. Public information does not support treating all such claims as confirmed operational capability.
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- Size Notice: Available in 1/700 and 1/350 scale. Please verify the selected scale and product dimensions before ordering to ensure they meet your project requirements.
- DIY Experience:Assemble, paint, and customize the model to create a unique finished piece. The detailed design adds realism to military dioramas, tabletop scenes, and display collections.
- Finishing Tips: Minor layer lines or support marks may remain from the 3D-printing process. These can be smoothed with modeling putty and fine sandpaper, while slightly warped parts can be carefully reshaped with warm water.
- Display & Collecting: Designed for military model enthusiasts, this kit offers an enjoyable and satisfying building experience. A distinctive addition to personal collections and a thoughtful gift for model-building hobbyists.
What limits DEWs in practice?
Atmosphere, range, and line of sight
Lasers need a clear path to the target. GAO notes that fog and storms can reduce laser range and beam quality. More generally, DEWs have shorter range than conventional weapons, according to GAO’s overview. A weapon’s performance in a controlled demonstration cannot, by itself, establish how well it will work across operational weather, distances, and target conditions.
Power, cooling, and platform integration
Delivering electromagnetic energy repeatedly requires a platform able to provide and manage power and heat. Cooling equipment and integration with the vehicle or other platform take space and impose engineering demands. A higher power rating is not useful in isolation if the complete system cannot operate reliably in the mission setting.
Effects on nearby systems and people
A broader beam can create difficult choices if friendly and hostile assets occupy the same area. GAO also says long-term health effects are unclear and that the applicability of legal guidance is not always well defined. Those uncertainties make operating procedures, exposure assessment, target identification, and rules for use part of the capability question—not matters to consider only after deployment.
Acquisition is a separate hurdle
A prototype or test can show that a technology works under particular conditions; it does not show that a military service has adopted it. GAO’s transition review emphasizes the need for transition partners, user feedback, and documented plans to move technology into acquisition. Its page includes October 2025 updates reporting Air Force management actions, including a Transition Tiger Team and formal partnership examples. These actions address transition planning; they do not establish successful operational fielding.
Will DEWs change future warfare?
They may become useful components of particular missions, especially defenses where their effects, line of sight, power supply, and operating conditions fit the problem. The evidence does not support treating them as a universal replacement for missiles, guns, or other conventional weapons. Future impact depends as much on system integration and acquisition as on increasing laser or microwave output.
For defense planners, the practical questions are whether a system can reliably affect the relevant targets; how weather, range, and nearby friendly equipment change its use; whether its power and cooling demands fit the platform; and whether testing, user feedback, and acquisition plans support transition. Policy questions include doctrine, health effects, legal guidance, industrial capacity, and how to balance DEWs with conventional munitions. Until those questions are answered for specific systems and missions, the soundest view is neither that directed energy has transformed warfare nor that it is merely science fiction: it is a developing set of technologies with real promise and substantial constraints.
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