Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano

The Army is nearing a contract award for the Enduring High Energy Laser (E-HEL), which represents the service's first laser weapon system to transition into permanent operational capability. This development comes as the Pentagon races to adapt to modern warfare threats, particularly inexpensive drones that challenge traditional air defenses. Alongside these efforts, the Air Force and Navy are also integrating directed-energy weapons, while countries like Israel and China are independently deploying advanced laser systems.

The Army is nearing a contract award for the Enduring High Energy Laser (E-HEL), marking its first potential laser weapon to transition into a permanent operational capability. This development positions U.S. forces to counter inexpensive drones without relying solely on costly kinetic weapons. Concurrently, the Air Force and Navy are also integrating high-energy lasers into their respective overseas and fleet operations.

The Army plans to award its first CAML program contracts next month and is in final negotiations with AV for the E-HEL initiative, as stated by Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano.