Updated May 7, 2024
Defense Primer: Directed-Energy Weapons
Both the 2022 National Defense Strategy and the House
Directed-Energy Weapons Programs
Armed Services Committee’s bipartisan Future of Defense
A number of countries are investing in directed-energy
Task Force Report have identified directed energy as a
weapons programs. This In Focus discusses a selection of
technology that could have a significant impact on U.S.
unclassified DE weapons programs in three leading military
national security in the years to come. As the Department of
powers: the United States, China, and Russia.
Defense (DOD) continues to invest in directed-energy (DE)
weapons, Congress may consider implications for defense
United States
authorizations, appropriations, and oversight.
DOD requested approximately $789.7 million for
unclassified DE programs in FY2025—down from its
Overview
$962.4 million request and $1.1 billion appropriation in
DOD defines DE weapons as those using concentrated
FY2024. (For additional information about specific U.S.
electromagnetic energy, rather than kinetic energy, to
DE weapons programs, see CRS Report R44175, Navy
“incapacitate, damage, disable, or destroy enemy
Lasers, Railgun, and Gun-Launched Guided Projectile:
equipment, facilities, and/or personnel.” DE weapons
Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke,
include high-energy lasers (HEL) and high-powered
and CRS Report R45098, U.S. Army Weapons-Related
microwave (HPM) weapons; other DE weapons, such as
Directed Energy (DE) Programs: Background and
particle beam weapons, are outside the scope of this In
Potential Issues for Congress, by Andrew Feickert.) DOD
Focus.
does not currently have any DE programs of record.
HELs might be used by ground forces in short-range air
DOD directed energy programs are coordinated by the
defense (SHORAD), counter-unmanned aircraft systems
Principal Director for Directed Energy within the Office of
(C-UAS), or counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM)
the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and
missions. The weapons might be used to “dazzle” (i.e.,
Engineering (OUSD[R&E]). The Principal Director for
temporarily disable) or damage satellites and sensors. This
Directed Energy is additionally responsible for
could in turn interfere with intelligence-gathering
development and oversight of the Directed Energy
operations; military communications; and positioning,
Roadmap. According to OUSD(R&E), DOD’s DE roadmap
navigation, and timing systems used for weapons targeting.
outlines DOD’s plan to increase power levels of DE
In addition, HELs could theoretically provide options for
weapons from around 150 kilowatts (kW—a unit of power),
boost-phase missile intercept, given their speed-of-light
as is currently feasible, to 500 kW—with reduced size and
travel time; however, experts disagree on the affordability,
weight—by FY2025. DOD seeks “to further reduce size
technological feasibility, and utility of this application.
and weight and increase power to MW [megawatt] levels
by FY2026.” For reference, although there is no consensus
In general, HELs might offer lower costs per shot and—
regarding the precise power level that would be needed to
assuming access to a sufficient power supply—deeper
neutralize different target sets, some analysts believe that
magazines compared with traditional munitions. (Although
lasers of around 100 kW could engage unmanned aircraft
a number of different types of HELs exist, many of the
systems, small boats, rockets, artillery, and mortars,
United States’ current programs are solid state lasers, which
whereas lasers of around 300 kW could additionally engage
are fueled by electrical power. As a result, the cost per shot
cruise missiles flying in certain profiles (i.e., flying
is equivalent to the cost of the electrical power required to
across—rather than at—the laser). Lasers of 1 MW could
fire the shot.) This could in turn produce a favorable cost-
potentially neutralize ballistic missiles and hypersonic
exchange ratio for the defender, whose marginal costs
weapons.
would be significantly lower than those of the aggressor.
In addition to the DE roadmap, OUSD(R&E) manages the
Similarly, HPM weapons could provide a nonkinetic means
High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI), which
of disabling adversary electronics and communications
former Principal Director for Directed Energy Dr. Jim
systems. These weapons could potentially generate effects
Trebes notes is “to demonstrate laser output power scaling
over wider areas than HELs, which emit a narrower beam
while maintaining or improving beam quality and
of energy. As a result, some analysts have noted that HPM
efficiency.” HELSI is intended to strengthen the defense
weapons might provide more effective area defense against
industrial base for potential future directed energy weapons
missile salvos and swarms of drones. HPM weapons have
by providing near-term prototyping opportunities for
also been considered for use as nonlethal “heat ray”
industry partners. Dr. Trebes additionally notes that
systems for crowd control.
OUSD(R&E) has completed a DOD-wide Laser Lethality
Analysis Process Review to identify future needs for the
Department and best practices for DE development and use.
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Defense Primer: Directed-Energy Weapons
According to OUSD(R&E), DOD is also testing a Directed
of HELs, in turn reducing their effectiveness. Traditional
Energy Lethality Database that is to serve as a searchable
weapons, in contrast, are not affected by these factors.
repository for the department’s DE analyses.
How, if at all, might HEL limitations be mitigated by
technological developments, concepts of operation, or other
China
methods? What impact might a failure to mitigate these
According to the U.S.-China Economic and Security
limitations have on future military operations?
Review Commission, China has been developing DE
weapons since at least the 1980s and has made steady
Mission Utility
progress in developing HPM and increasingly powerful
Given the strengths and weaknesses of DE weapons, DOD
HELs. China has reportedly developed a 30-kilowatt road-
is continuing to examine their role within the military. DOD
mobile HEL, LW-30, designed to engage unmanned aircraft
is additionally conducting multiple utility studies to analyze
systems and precision-guided weapons. Reports indicate
potential concepts of operation for DE weapons and to
that China is also developing an airborne HEL pod.
assess the scenarios in which they might be militarily
useful. How might Congress draw upon the conclusions of
According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, China is
these analyses as it conducts oversight of DE weapons
additionally pursuing DE weapons
programs? What is the appropriate balance between DE
weapons and traditional munitions within the military’s
to disrupt, degrade, or damage satellites and their
portfolio of capabilities?
sensors and possibly already has a limited
capability to employ laser systems against satellite
Defense Industrial Base
sensors. China [has likely fielded] a ground-based
Some analysts have expressed concerns that, in the past,
laser weapon that can counter low-orbit space-
DOD did not provide stable funding for DE weapons
based sensors ... and by the mid-to-late 2020s, it
programs or sufficient opportunities for the DE workforce.
may field higher power systems that extend the
According to OUSD(R&E), HELSI is intended to address
threat to the structures of non-optical satellites.
these concerns by providing industry with assured
prototyping opportunities. In what ways, if any, has HELSI
Russia
strengthened the defense industrial base for DE weapons?
Russia has been conducting DE weapons research since the
What, if any, challenges does the base continue to face and
1960s, with a particular emphasis on HELs. Russia has
how might they be mitigated?
reportedly deployed the Peresvet ground-based HEL with
Intelligence Requirements
several mobile intercontinental ballistic missile units.
Although little is publicly known about Peresvet, including
Some analysts have questioned whether DOD has sufficient
its power level, some analysts assert it is to dazzle satellites
knowledge of adversary DE weapons systems and materials
and provide point defense against unmanned aircraft
to develop its weapons requirements. DOD is currently
systems. Russia’s deputy defense minister Alexei
attempting to further define its DE collection requirements
Krivoruchko has stated that efforts are underway to increase
for the intelligence community (IC) through the Directed
Peresvet’s power level and to deploy it on military aircraft.
Energy Lethality Intelligence initiative. To what extent, if at
Reports suggest that Russia may also be developing HPMs
all, is this initiative improving connectivity between DOD’s
as well as additional HELs capable of performing anti-
DE community and the IC? What collection requirements,
satellite missions.
if any, remain?
Potential Issues and Questions for
Coordination within DOD
Congress
Pursuant to Section 219 of the FY2017 National Defense
Authorization Act (P.L. 114-328), OUSD(R&E)’s Principal
Technological Maturity
Director for Directed Energy is tasked with coordinating
Directed-energy weapons programs continue to face
DE efforts across DOD and with developing DOD’s
questions about their technological maturity, including the
Directed Energy Roadmap, which is to guide development
ability to improve beam quality and control to militarily
efforts. To what extent are the military departments and
useful levels and the ability to meet size, weight, and power
defense agencies adhering to this roadmap? What, if any,
(SWaP) and cooling requirements for integration into
additional authorities or structural changes would be
current platforms. Some DE systems are small enough to fit
required to ensure proper coordination throughout DOD?
on military vehicles, but many require larger and/or fixed
platforms that could potentially limit deployment options
Related CRS Products
and operational utility. In what ways, if any, are DOD
CRS Report R46925, Department of Defense Directed Energy
technology maturation efforts reducing the SWaP and
Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress, coordinated by
cooling requirements of DE systems?
Kelley M. Sayler.
Weapons Characteristics
This report was originally co-authored by John Hoehn.
Although HELs may offer a lower cost per shot than
traditional weapons such as missiles, they are also subject
to a number of limitations. For example, atmospheric
Kelley M. Sayler, Analyst in Advanced Technology and
conditions (e.g., rain, fog, obscurants) and SWaP and
Global Security
cooling requirements can limit the range and beam quality
IF11882
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Defense Primer: Directed-Energy Weapons


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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11882 · VERSION 10 · UPDATED

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