Washington, August 25, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The US military plans to conduct a year-long operational test of high-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems designed to detect and defeat hostile drones, a senior Army official has said.
Brigadier General Matt Ross, director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401, said the directed-energy systems would be deployed at a military installation and operated and maintained by service members for 365 days.
The trial will assess whether the weapons can be used reliably in real-world conditions without disrupting routine base operations or interfering with aviation activity.
“We have a number of systems, and we’ve proven that the science works,” Ross said, adding that both high-energy lasers and high-power microwaves had demonstrated the ability to defeat drones. The next step, he said, was determining how effectively they could operate over an extended period.
The military will evaluate each system’s power requirements, maintenance needs, operating costs and availability, including how often specialised personnel are required for repairs or technical support.
Officials will also develop tactics and procedures to ensure the systems can be operated without unnecessarily restricting normal airspace activity around military installations.
The results are expected to help the military compare the effectiveness and cost of directed-energy weapons with conventional counter-drone systems.
Department of Homeland Security official Steve Willoughby said drones had become increasingly useful for public safety, government operations and emergency response, while also presenting risks when used by malicious actors.
The task force works with federal, state and local agencies on drone detection and mitigation, protection of military installations and critical infrastructure, public-event security, explosives safety, intelligence and investigations.
The growing use of relatively inexpensive unmanned aircraft in conflicts, particularly in Ukraine, has accelerated international efforts to develop more effective counter-drone capabilities. High-energy lasers can engage individual targets, while high-power microwave systems can disrupt the electronics of multiple drones.
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