United States accelerates anti-drone defense and laser weapon deployment

The United States is accelerating its deployment of counter-unmanned aircraft systems (c-UAS) to address the growing threat of inexpensive drones. A memorandum from the U.S. Department of War, signed by Secretary Pete Hegseth, aims to remove bureaucratic hurdles that delay the deployment of these systems. The directive emphasizes that defense should not be limited to a base's physical perimeter, as drone threats can emerge from civilian or coastal areas. To improve readiness, the Department intends to reduce approval timelines for validated c-UAS systems from months to days or weeks.

In tandem with these policy shifts, the U.S. military is transitioning directed-energy weapons from experimentation to battlefield use, specifically in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Army has committed nearly $500 million to produce a new generation of high-energy laser weapons. These systems use concentrated beams to damage a target's sensors or structural components through heat. Notably, some operators utilize modified Xbox-style controllers to manage these laser systems, leveraging intuitive human-machine interfaces for precise targeting and rapid input.