Air and Missile Defense Technology

This project researches and develops advanced beam control technologies to enable new sensors, illuminators, deformable mirrors, wavefront sensors (WFS), optical components, and acquisition and tracking concepts. Design and develop an advanced large-aperture off-axis beam expander, incorporating innovative, cost-saving component research. Develop algorithms for WFS and laser-quality tracking. This effort will increase effective range for multi-domain missions, including counter-cruise missile operations and strategic missions. Work in this Project complements (PE) 0602150A (Air and Missile Defense Technology)/Project DC1 (Next Generation Directed Energy Concept Development and Analysis) and PE 0603466A (Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology)/Project IB1 (Integrated Beam Control Systems Demonstration for Counter-Cruise Missile). The cited work aligns with the 2026 National Defense Strategy of Protecting the Homeland borders and skies and the Modernization of Missile Defense both priority lines of effort. The work also aligns with the Army Modernization Priority of Air and Missile Defense in developing advanced systems to protect against aerial threats. Research is performed by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command - Technical Center (USASMDC-TC) in coordination with Program Acquisition Executive (PAE) FIRES.

This Project researches and investigates lethality effectiveness, adaptive optics, beam control, laser sources, target and beacon illuminator lasers, new tracking algorithms, laser and beam control for both High Energy Laser and High-Power Microwave experimentation to improve future High Energy Laser and High-Power Microwave weapon system effectiveness. This Project determines critical activities to enable next generation directed energy technical innovations and funds core competencies in Lethality and Directed Energy. Work in this Project complements (PE) 0602150A (Air and Missile Defense Technology)/Projects CV7 (High Energy Laser Direct Diode Applied Technology), CV8 (Vulnerability Modules for Multi-Domain Operations) and DE3 (Advanced Beam Control Component Development for Counter-Cruise Missile), HP1 (High Power Microwave Technology) and PE 0603466A (Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology)/Projects CV6 (Optimized High Energy Laser Source Advanced Technology) and IB1 (Integrated Beam Control Systems Demonstration for Counter-Cruise Missile). The cited research aligns with the 2026 National Defense Strategy of Protecting the Homeland borders and skies and the Modernization of Missile Defense both priority lines of effort. The work also aligns with the Army Modernization Priority of Air and Missile Defense in developing advanced systems to protect against aerial threats. Research is performed by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command - Technical Center (USASMDC-TC).

This Project will develop High Energy Laser (HEL) Vulnerability Modules (VM), engagement tactics data, and kill signatures for targeting Unmanned Aerial Systems, Cruise Missiles, and Rotary Wing threats for High Energy Laser weapon systems. VM development includes Smart VM development to enable real time threat feature detection and targeting. Smart VMs utilize machine learning to enable optimized aimpoint selection across a large range of current and future threat targets, increasing the HEL Weapon Systems lethality. Research in this Project complements other Army Directed Energy efforts conducted under (PE) 0602150A (Air and Missile Defense Technology)/Project DC1 (Next Generation Directed Energy Concept Development and Analysis. The cited research aligns with the 2026 National Defense Strategy of Protecting the Homeland borders and skies and the Modernization of Missile Defense both priority lines of effort. The work also aligns with the Army Modernization Priority of Air and Missile Defense in developing advanced systems to protect against aerial threats. Research is performed by the United States Army Space and Missile Defense Command - Technical Center (USASMDC-TC) in coordination with PAE Fires.

This project develops single-mode diode emitters to increase output power to 100 Watts with over 60% electrical-to-optical efficiency. The effort includes packaging for emitter arrays and research to reduce laser subsystem size, weight, and power (SWaP). Industry and National Lab partners contribute to overcoming gain limitations in the semiconductor region. The project complements Army Directed Energy efforts under PE 0602150A / Project DC1 (Next Generation Directed Energy Concept Development and Analysis) and PE 0603466A / Project CV6 (Optimized High Energy Laser Source Advanced Technology) and aligns with the 2026 National Defense Strategy of Protecting the Homeland borders and skies and the Modernization of Missile Defense both priority lines of effort. The work also aligns with the Army Modernization Priority of Air and Missile Defense in developing advanced systems to protect against aerial threats. Research is performed by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command - Technical Center (USASMDC-TC) in coordination with Program Acquisition Executive (PAE) FIRES.

This project designs and develops technologies to deter tactical surveillance and targeting by adversarial area denial systems and munitions. The project investigates methods to increase survivability of critical assets against precision-guided near-peer advanced weapons threats, investigates and develops tonedown methods for signature management, and computationally develops novel countermeasures. This project also develops a suite of high-fidelity, physics-based modeling and simulation tools for the design and development of unconventional countermeasures and survivability enhancers applicable to a wide range of operating environments. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0603466A (Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology) / Project AE3 (Unconventional Countermeasures-Survivability ATech). Work in this project is performed by the United States Army Engineer Research and Development Center Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory.

This Project will design and develop High Power Microwave (HPM) Vulnerability Data, engagement tactics data and kill signatures for targeting Unmanned Aerial Systems, Cruise Missiles, and Precision Guided Munition (PGM) threats for future HPM weapon systems. It will also develop additional HPM capabilities unique to the Army needs including antennas, sources, and other HPM system components. Data developed will be incorporated to enable real time threat detection and targeting, increasing the lethality of the HPM weapon systems through optimizing waveform selection. Research in this Project complements other Army Directed Energy efforts conducted for IFPC-HPM, PE 0604019A / Expanded Mission Area Missile (EMAM). The cited research is consistent with the Army's modernization programs, the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering priority focus areas, the Army Modernization Strategy, and supports the Army's future capability opportunities for leap-ahead technology for Directed Energy. Research is performed by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command - Technical Center (USASMDC-TC) in coordination with Program Acquisition Executive FIRES.

Congressional Interest Item funding provided for Advanced Weapon Components.

This project investigates and develops critical radar capability enhancements to defeat advanced Air and Missile threats and protect Army maneuver forces and critical assets. Radar enhancements are required for advanced Electronic Protection (EP) techniques against advanced jammers, electronic Combat Identification (CID), and resource optimization across the threat spectrum while retaining 360 degree coverage capability. Technology development includes providing capabilities for: dispersed multi-static operation, classifying/tracking emerging threats and high-volume threats; adaptive digital beam forming to enable resource efficiency, performance in a dynamic clutter environment and enhanced survivability in a contested battlespace; and multi-modal tracking and additional discrimination models to support diverse and emerging threats, such as swarms and guided munitions. Enhanced development for the state-of-the-art scalable, digital array radar testbed to include advanced algorithms, transmitted power, antenna gain, detection range and angle accuracy/resolution upgrades to the existing/new radar front/back ends will allow greater performance characterization for Multi-mission Army Radar systems supporting Multi-domain Operations (MDO). This research complements Program Element (PE) 0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project CG4 (Advanced Radar Concepts); PE 0602148A (Future Vertical Lift Technology) / Project CC3 (FVL Radar Technology); and PE 0601102A (Defense Research Sciences) / Project AA8 (Foundational Distributed Radar); and PE0602141A (Lethality Technology) / Project CJ7 (Future Air Defense Missile Enabling Technology) and PE 0603466A (Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology) / Project DB3 (Radar Survivability through Dis Sensing Adv Tech)); and PE 0602275A (Electronic Warfare Applied Research)/ Project A70 (Sensor Electronic Support Tech); and PE 0603275A (Electronic Warfare Advance d Technology) / Project A78 (Sensor Electronic Support Adv Tech). Work in this project is performed by the Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC).