Leonardo DRS tapped to support Army’s high-energy laser program

Leonardo DRS landed a subcontract to provide “rugged integration expertise” to support the Army’s Enduring-High Energy Laser production program, the company announced Monday.

The firm was tapped by prime contractor AeroVironment for the effort, according to a press release.

The Army announced in September that it awarded AV a nearly $500 million contract for the E-HEL program with the intent of moving the system from a prototype phase into production. Company officials at the time touted it as the first production contract for directed energy weapons in U.S. history. AV has said it expects to deliver “well into the dozens” of its LOCUST X3 laser weapon systems to the military under the deal in the coming years.

The U.S. military is pursuing new tools to counter enemy drones, which are proliferating across modern battlefields, including so-called “non-kinetic” systems like high-energy lasers. Officials envision integrating the E-HEL technology with Army platforms such as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle or Infantry Squad Vehicle, or in palletized setups. However, there are technical challenges involved in fielding powerful lasers that can work effectively and reliably in real-world combat scenarios and meet military requirements. Under its subcontract, Leonardo DRS aims to help address those issues.

“Evolving drone threats demand systems that deliver reliable performance in demanding operational environments,” Aaron Hankins, vice president and general manager for the company’s land systems business, said in a statement. “Our team is applying experience in vehicle integration, power and thermal management to help AV deliver a mobile high-energy laser capability for the U.S. Army.”

Leonardo DRS and AV did not immediately respond to questions Monday about the dollar value of the subcontract.

In a press release, Leonardo DRS noted that it has previous experience working on DE efforts, including a rapid prototyping initiative in recent years to integrate a high-energy laser into an armored vehicle for live-fire evaluations.

Separately, the Pentagon announced last month that AV’s Palletized High-Energy Laser system was one of the platforms chosen for a pilot led by Joint Interagency Task Force 401. The other DE technologies selected for the effort include the Epirus Leonidas High-Powered Microwave system, the Kord Firefly High-Energy Laser system, and the Boeing Compact Laser Weapon system, according to a Defense Department press release.

“High-energy lasers and high-powered microwave systems are tools that can be effectively used in a layered drone defense,” Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF 401, said in a statement that accompanied last month’s announcement. “This pilot program will test these capabilities in an operational environment so we can understand how best to integrate and sustain them to defend the homeland.”

As part of its efforts to assess these types of counter-drone capabilities, the task force plans to hold a directed energy “shoot-off” later this year.