directed energy weapons – Page 2

Mar- 2026 -

12 March

Master Sgt. Bradley Blair, senior enlisted leader, U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, or USAFSAM, Office of the Dean, completes an exercise in a T-6A Texan II virtual reality flight simulator while wearing a cap that measures brain activity after applying a cervical transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation, or ctVNS, device to his neck during a test at the Human Universal Measurement and Assessment Network Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, May 19, 2023. Researchers with the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, Human Effectiveness Directorate developed a military-grade ctVNS device to enhance cognitive performance in Airmen and Guardians, specifically to accelerate training, mitigate fatigue and enable decision superiority. USAFSAM and the Human Effectiveness Directorate are two mission units that comprise AFRL’s 711th Human Performance Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo / Richard Eldridge)

US Tests Suspected Weapon Tied to Havana Syndrome in Secret Lab Experiments

The US has obtained and tested a suspected directed-energy weapon that investigators believe could help explain the controversial illness known as Havana Syndrome.

10 March

Americas

Akhsan Erido Elezhar

US Introduces Rifle-Mounted Laser Weapon to Shut Down Drones

A new chapter in counter-drone defense begins as Nuburu’s Lyocon subsidiary completes initial trials of a next-gen, portable non-kinetic laser system built to hunt drones in contested airspace.

Feb- 2026 -

10 February

Asia Pacific

Akhsan Erido Elezhar

India Develops ‘World’s Most Compact’ AI-Driven Laser Sniper Mounted on UGV

India is sharpening its toolkit for future warfare with the rollout of the “world’s most compact” AI-powered laser sniper, mounted on a nimble unmanned ground vehicle.

Jan- 2026 -

12 January

Americas

A U.S. Soldier of 82nd Airborne Division utilizes a Long Range Acoustic Device 500 while conducting a crowd riot control scenario during a Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission rehearsal exercise (MRE) at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany, July 5, 2017. The KFOR MRE 23 is designed to prepare the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team for their deployment to Kosovo in support of civil authorities to maintain a safe and secure environment. KFOR MRE 23 hosts 900 soldiers from 10 nations. The exercise runs from June 19 through July 11 in Hohenfels, Germany. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Randy Wren)

Rojoef Manuel

Claim of US Sonic Weapon Use in Venezuela Gains Attention After Leavitt Post

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a post on X describing a US raid in Venezuela that purportedly used a sonic or directed-energy weapon to incapacitate government forces.

8 January

Arms

Image of the 'DragonFire' Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW), seen here undergoing trials at DSTL's (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) range at Porton Down in Salisbury, UK.

Christine Casimiro

QinetiQ Advances Royal Navy DragonFire Laser in $78M Deal

MBDA, the prime contractor of the Royal Navy’s DragonFire laser weapon, has awarded industry partner QinetiQ a $78-million contract to continue work on the system’s laser source.

6 January

Arms

Christine Casimiro

Rheinmetall, MBDA to Form Joint Venture for Laser Weapons in Q1 2026

German arms manufacturers Rheinmetall and MBDA Deutschland are eyeing a joint venture in the first quarter of 2026 to develop laser weapons.

Dec- 2025 -

29 December

Technology

Joe Saballa

Seven Laser Weapons That Defined the Defense Landscape in 2025

Seven laser systems in 2025 proved directed-energy is here to stay, transforming air and maritime defense with speed, precision, and near-unlimited firepower.

19 December

Americas

A LOCUST laser weapon system mounted on an Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)

Rojoef Manuel

US Army Receives More LOCUST Laser Weapons From AeroVironment

AeroVironment has delivered two additional LOCUST laser weapon systems to the US Army as part of the service’s Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser initiative.

Nov- 2025 -

25 November

Americas