A counter-drone laser developed in Huntsville is one of just four directed-energy systems selected by the Department of War for a new pilot program aimed at defending U.S. military installations from drone threats.
Kord Technologies’ Firefly High-Energy Laser was selected for the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 counter-unmanned aircraft systems directed-energy pilot, putting Huntsville technology among a small group of laser and microwave systems the Pentagon will evaluate in operational environments.
The four systems selected are Kord’s Firefly, AeroVironment’s Palletized High-Energy Laser, Epirus’ Leonidas High-Powered Microwave system and Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System.
“High-energy lasers and high-powered microwave systems are tools that can be effectively used in a layered drone defense,” said Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF 401. “This pilot program will test these capabilities in an operational environment so we can understand how best to integrate and sustain them to defend the homeland.”
Kord Technologies, a Huntsville-based subsidiary of KBR, has spent years developing and integrating directed-energy weapons in the Rocket City. KBR has described Kord’s Huntsville facilities as central to its work supporting the Army’s high-energy laser programs.
The Firefly is a palletized high-energy laser system designed to detect, track and defeat unmanned aircraft. Its modular architecture allows it to be configured at different power levels and integrated with existing command-and-control systems.
Together, the four systems represent two approaches to directed-energy defense. Firefly and the systems from AeroVironment and Boeing rely on high-energy lasers, while Epirus’ Leonidas uses high-powered microwave energy to disrupt or disable drones.
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