The U.S. military is putting money behind laser weapons designed to knock down swarms of drones, according to DefenseScoop, which reports that the Pentagon has awarded deals for such systems.
The appeal of "directed energy" weapons—devices that fire concentrated beams of light rather than physical ammunition—is not new. According to DefenseScoop, defense officials have long touted their advantages: they engage targets at high speed, cost very little per shot, and carry what the outlet describes as "deep magazines," meaning they can keep firing as long as they have power rather than running out of rounds.
Those traits matter most against drone swarms, where large numbers of cheap, small aircraft can overwhelm defenses built around expensive missiles. Firing a costly interceptor at a low-cost drone is a losing trade over time; a laser that can fire repeatedly for a fraction of the cost per shot changes that math.
DefenseScoop's report ties the new awards to Pentagon efforts to field a joint laser weapon capability aimed specifically at defeating drone swarms.
The source item does not detail which companies received the deals, how much the contracts are worth, or when the systems might be deployed—so those questions remain open based on the information available.
Why it matters: as inexpensive drones become a growing threat on modern battlefields, low-cost laser defenses could reshape how militaries protect troops and bases without spending a fortune on each incoming target.