Washington, Aug 2026 : The US military is preparing to conduct a year-long operational test of advanced directed-energy weapons designed to detect, disable and destroy hostile drones, as Washington seeks more reliable and cost-effective ways to counter the growing threat posed by unmanned aircraft.
Brigadier General Matt Ross, director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401, said high-energy laser and high-power microwave systems would be deployed at a military installation for a 365-day trial. Service members would operate and maintain the systems throughout the testing period.
The exercise will focus on determining whether directed-energy weapons can function reliably in real-world operational conditions without disrupting essential activities at the installation or interfering with normal aviation operations.
“It’s a directed energy pilot,” Ross said during a media roundtable involving officials from the US Army, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security.
He explained that the term “directed energy” covers a broad range of emerging technologies, but the current programme is primarily focused on high-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems.
According to Ross, previous testing has already demonstrated that both technologies can successfully defeat drones. The next step is to determine whether the systems can remain effective and available when operated continuously in an actual military environment.
“We have a number of systems, and we’ve proven that the science works,” Ross said. He added that the military now needs to establish how the weapons can be incorporated effectively into routine operations.
The year-long trial will examine several practical factors, including electricity requirements, maintenance needs, operating costs and system availability. Officials will track how many days each weapon remains operational and how frequently repairs or specialised technical support are required.
Ross said the objective was to have regular service members, rather than only specialised test teams, operate and maintain the weapons. This would provide the military with a clearer understanding of the systems’ demands under realistic conditions.
The findings could help the armed forces compare directed-energy weapons with conventional counter-drone systems in terms of cost, reliability and effectiveness.
Another key challenge will be integrating the weapons into installations without disrupting normal air traffic. Military officials want to develop tactics, techniques and procedures that allow the systems to be used while aircraft continue to operate safely in the surrounding airspace.
“I don’t want to shut down the airspace as I use those systems,” Ross said, highlighting the importance of developing operational procedures that balance drone defence with routine aviation activity.
The initiative comes as drones become increasingly common across military and civilian environments. Relatively inexpensive unmanned aircraft have played a significant role in recent conflicts, particularly in Ukraine, accelerating international efforts to develop effective counter-drone technologies.
High-energy lasers and high-power microwaves offer different approaches. Lasers can concentrate energy on individual targets and potentially disable or destroy them, while high-power microwave systems can disrupt electronic components and may have the potential to engage multiple drones under suitable conditions.
Department of Homeland Security official Steve Willoughby said drones also provide important benefits to government agencies and public-safety organisations. They can assist in protecting people and infrastructure, supporting emergency operations and carrying out tasks more efficiently.
However, the same technology can be exploited by malicious actors, creating a need to distinguish legitimate drone activity from potential threats.
Willoughby cited the World Cup as an example of the challenge. Authorities may need to accommodate authorised media, delivery and public-safety drones while restricting unauthorised flights around stadiums, critical infrastructure and crowded fan zones.
Joint Interagency Task Force 401 works with federal, state and local agencies on security-related missions involving military installations, public gatherings, recreational venues and critical infrastructure. Its responsibilities include drone detection and mitigation, preparedness, explosives safety, intelligence, forensics and investigations.
The planned 365-day test is therefore intended not merely to demonstrate that directed-energy weapons work, but to determine whether they can become dependable components of the US military’s broader counter-drone strategy.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
