High Energy Laser Advanced Component Development & Prototype

The High Energy Laser Advanced Component Development & Prototype program (PE 0604924D8Z), managed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and executed through the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office (JDETO), is a Department of Defense (DoD) initiative focused on advancing directed energy weapon systems. The program aligns with the DoD Directed Energy Roadmap and is overseen by the Principal Director for Directed Energy, who ensures the program's objectives are updated annually in accordance with strategic guidance and legislative mandates, such as Section 219 of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. The primary goal is to build a sustainable and resilient advantage for the joint force by reducing technology risk, improving engineering integration, and lowering life-cycle costs for directed energy weapons.

High Energy Tech Maturation is the central budget line within this program element, with funding realigned from previous high energy laser research and development efforts. This project supports the maturation of directed energy technologies, enabling next-generation weapon systems that can engage threats at longer ranges and with shorter response times, even in adverse environments. The focus is on improving size, weight, and power (SWaP) characteristics to facilitate integration into operational platforms. The project is designed to harmonize efforts across the Services and Agencies, ensuring that technology developed reaches a high enough technical readiness level for direct insertion into fielded weapon systems.

Within the High Energy Tech Maturation project, the program specifically funds the development of advanced prototypes and supports their demonstration in relevant field environments, often with joint and international participation. Key objectives include leveraging modular open system architectures, developing scalable beam control solutions, and optimizing command and control timelines to reduce engagement latency. The program also emphasizes mission engineering, using high-fidelity system-level models and warfighter input to evaluate the operational employment of directed energy weapons.

The Directed Energy Tech Utility Program is another major component, enabled by mandatory funding in FY 2026. Its objectives are to conduct studies, analyses, and evaluations focused on mission-driven lethality and survivability, supporting military utility assessments for directed energy systems. This includes collecting lethality and survivability data for prioritized threats and assets, developing vulnerability modules, and updating engagement-level models. These efforts are intended to inform the integration of directed energy weapons into existing military utility studies and to support experimentation in operationally relevant environments.

A new initiative within the program, the Joint Laser Weapon System Initiative, supports the Army and Navy's efforts to develop a joint laser weapon system for counter-cruise missile missions. JDETO provides joint oversight, coordinates working groups, and integrates this initiative with the broader Directed Energy Tech Maturation Program. The initiative is structured to ensure alignment with the DoD Directed Energy Roadmap and to facilitate rapid progress through operational analysis and mission engineering studies.

The program's funding profile for FY 2026 reflects an increased emphasis on accelerating technical maturation and utility assessments. Key performing activities include the Air Force Research Laboratory Directed Energy Directorate, Army Space and Missile Defense Command Tech Center, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren, MITRE, and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. These organizations contribute to various aspects of technology maturation, utility analysis, and joint oversight.