High Energy Laser Advanced Component Development & Prototype

This program is part of an overall Department of War strategy in SCADE Integration and Manufacturing. Efforts within will focus on enabling next-generation directed energy weapons that engage threats at longer ranges with shorter engagement timelines in adverse environments with improved size, weight, and power requirements. These efforts complement, and will be closely coordinated with, other Department efforts directed at specific Service and Agency missions. This program builds upon department investments by the Services and Agencies to eliminate duplication. As a result, efforts in this program will transition directed-energy technology to the Services and Agencies at a technical, integration, and manufacturing readiness level for insertion into directed energy weapon systems. This project executes a technical program that enables (1) integration of advanced prototypes in support of demonstrating mission-driven lethality and survivability, (2) test and evaluation in a relevant field environment with Joint-international participation, (3) studies, analyses, and evaluations in mission-driven lethality and survivability that support directed energy military utility assessments and (4) identify gaps within the defense industrial base for manufacturability of directed energy weapon systems.