# Directed Energy Technology Maturation

**R-2A activity** of project 924 — High Energy Laser Advanced Development  
**Program element:** 0603924D8Z — High Energy Laser Advanced Development  
**Component:** Defense-Wide · **Budget Activity:** 3  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603924D8Z/924/a1  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603924D8Z

## Summary

This activity requests $201.1M in FY2027, 100% of project 924, up 67% on FY2026. The R-2A exhibit describes it across FY2026–FY2027, including what the FY2027 money is planned to buy.

## What the FY2027 request buys

**FY2027 planned work.** High Energy Laser Technology Maturation: Continue beam control maturation to include assessment efforts of counter missile, airborne for mid-term tactical missions, and meter-class beam directors for long-term strategic missions. Continue the development of higher order adaptive optics, advanced beam director common interfaces, and HEL source components to mature technologies and help accelerate acquisition by the Military Services. High Power Microwave Technology Maturation: Leverage applied research investments in agile-frequency sources, novel antenna designs, pulsed power, and effects testing made by the Services and Agencies and make additional investments in the components and sub-systems needed for the development of system-level prototypes. Prototypes should enable near-term demonstration in a relevant field environment and leverage investments previously made by the JDETO in high power microwave Technology. High Power Laser Development: Develop high priority laser technology and provide appropriate evaluation to facilitate transition. Test and Evaluation: Continue test and evaluation in support of mission-driven lethality and survivability. Assess vulnerability for specific threats and develop surrogate threats that meet the overall mission requirements. Perform dynamic field tests to demonstrate the lethality of advanced prototypes and the survivability of surrogate threats. Repeat the tests for both point-defense and area-defense engagements. Transition the remaining data from these tests to the Service and Agency partners and stakeholders. Help validate the engagement-level model predictions and refine aimpoint selection methodologies.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** The increase of $80.362 million between FY 2026 and FY 2027 is to develop prioritized High Power Microwave and Laser Technologies and to provide the appropriate Testing and Evaluation that facilitates transition to the warfighter.

## Before the request year

**FY2026 plans — current year.** High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative: Conclude the development of electronically driven continuous wave laser sources with industry partners. Utilize government and industry diagnostics to demonstrate 500-kilowatt-class and one-megawatt-class power levels. Also demonstrate performance with a technical readiness level suitable for integration into advanced prototypes. Transition these laser sources to the Directed Energy Tech Maturation Program within the JDETO in support of mission-driven lethality and survivability demonstrations, or to Service programs for proof-of-concept demonstrations or fieldable weapon system prototypes. High Energy Laser Technology Maturation: Continue beam control maturation to include assessment efforts of counter missile, airborne for mid-term tactical missions, and meter-class beam directors for long-term strategic missions. Continue the development of higher order adaptive optics, advanced beam director common interfaces, and HEL source components to mature technologies and help accelerate acquisition by the Military Services. Investigate the feasibly of integration of a one-megawatt-class laser source from the High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative with a meter-class beam director High Power Microwave Technology Maturation: Leverage applied research investments in agile-frequency sources, novel antenna designs, pulsed power, and effects testing made by the Services and Agencies and make additional investments in the components and sub-systems needed for the development of system-level prototypes. Prototypes should enable near-term demonstration in a relevant field environment and leverage investments previously made by the JDETO in high power microwave technology. Test and Evaluation: Conduct test and evaluation in support of mission-driven lethality and survivability. Assess vulnerability for specific threats and develop surrogate threats that meet the overall mission requirements. Perform static field tests to demonstrate the lethality of advanced prototypes and the survivability of surrogate threats. Repeat the tests for both point-defense and area-defense engagements. Transition the data from these tests to the Service and Agency partners and stakeholders. Validate the engagement-level model predictions and refine aimpoint selection methodologies.

## Funding

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2026 | Enacted | 120.8 |
| FY2027 | Request | 201.1 |

> Prior, current and budget year only — an R-2A activity carries no five-year plan. It sums exactly into its project in the request year and not necessarily in any other.

## Other activities in project 924

- Directed Energy Advanced Technology Development — FY2027 —

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Office of the Secretary of Defense RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibit R-2A, PE 0603924D8Z project 924 (PB PB2027). Narrative is the government's own text.
- **No marks, no contractors at this grain** — congressional marks land on the program element and R-3 performers on the project.
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_activity`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*