The Department of War today announced it has awarded two Joint Laser Weapon System (JLWS) agreements totaling an initial $86 million to nLIGHT Defense and Lockheed Martin Aculight. These agreements aim to advance the United States' next-generation defense architecture against cruise missiles and unmanned aerial systems (UAS), with a total program ceiling of $847 million.
The JLWS program, led by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE) Critical Technology Area (CTA), seeks to transition directed energy capabilities from prototypes into field-ready, production-oriented platforms. These containerized high-energy laser weapons are designed to offer combatant commanders scalable, cost-effective intercept solutions for asymmetric and high-tier adversary threats, providing speed-of-light engagement, deep magazines, and significantly lower cost-per-intercept.
Initial JLWS prototypes will be rated at approximately 150 kW, with subsequent iterations scaling to 300–500 kW for robust cruise missile defense. Concurrently, a 500-kW integrated system will be developed by leveraging a laser source from the OUSW(R&E) High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI). The systems are designed with containerized form factors for modular integration across both ground and naval platforms, enabling rapid deployment.
Emil Michael, Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, said, "We must actively defend the homeland against emerging threats. We are partnering with industry to rapidly deliver deep magazine directed energy capabilities to the Joint Force that can be seamlessly deployed across multiple domains."
Utilizing an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) framework, the Department can bypass traditional, prolonged acquisition pathways, favoring rapid prototyping and flexible collaboration. This approach ensures iterative development responsive to emerging threats, facilitating an accelerated transition into production.