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The following is the Sept. 13, 2022 Congressional Research Service report, Department of Defense Directed Energy Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress. From the report Directed energy (DE) weapons use concentrated electromagnetic energy, rather than kinetic energy, to combat enemy forces. Alth…

Report to Congress on Defense Department Directed Energy Weapons - USNI News Collapse Donate Cart0 Join or Login Main navigation About UsMembershipBooks & PressUSNI NewsProceedingsNaval HistoryArchivesEventsDonate News Menu SEARCH Skip to content Home Documents Top Stories COVID-19 Fleet and Marine Tracker Advertise About Collapse Donate Cart0 Join or Login Main navigation (Sticky) About UsMembershipBooks & PressUSNI NewsProceedingsNaval HistoryArchivesEventsDonate News Menu SEARCH Skip to content Home Documents Top Stories COVID-19 Fleet and Marine Tracker Advertise About Search for: Home » Budget Industry » Report to Congress on Defense Department Directed Energy Weapons      Report to Congress on Defense Department Directed Energy Weapons September 14, 2022 10:52 AM The following is the Sept. 13, 2022 Congressional Research Service report, Department of Defense Directed Energy Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress. From the report Directed energy (DE) weapons use concentrated electromagnetic energy, rather than kinetic energy, to combat enemy forces. Although the United States has been researching directed energy since the 1960s, some experts have observed that the Department of Defense (DOD) has invested billions of dollars in DE programs that failed to reach maturity and were ultimately cancelled. In recent years, however, DOD has made progress on DE weapons development, deploying the first operational U.S. DE weapon in 2014 aboard the USS Ponce. Since then, DE weapons development has continued, with DOD issuing a Directed Energy Roadmap to coordinate the department’s efforts. DOD has also introduced a High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative, which seeks to strengthen the defense industrial base for DE weapons and improve laser beam quality and efficiency. This report provides background information and issues for Congress on DE weapons, including high-energy lasers (HELs) and high-powered microwave (HPM) weapons, and outlines selected unclassified DOD, Air Force, Army, and Navy DE programs. If successfully fielded, HELs could be used by ground forces in a range of missions, including short-range air defense (SHORAD); counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS); and counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) missions. HPM weapons could provide a nonkinetic means of disabling adversary electronics and communications systems. Compared with traditional munitions, DE weapons could offer lower logistical requirements, lower costs per shot, and—assuming access to a sufficient power supply—deeper magazines. These weapons could, however, face a number of limitations not faced by their kinetic counterparts. For example, atmospheric conditions (e.g., rain, fog, obscurants) could potentially limit the range and beam quality of DE weapons, in turn reducing their effectiveness. As DOD continues to invest in DE weapons, Congress may consider the weapons’ technological maturity, lifecycle cost, characteristics, mission utility, industrial base, intelligence requirements, and oversight structure. Congress may also consider the implications of DE weapons for future arms control agreements. Download the document here.      Related Report to Congress on Army Directed Energy WeaponsThe following is the Feb. 12, 2018 Congressional Research Service report. From the Report: The U.S. military has a long and complicated history in developing directed energy (DE) weapons. Many past efforts have failed for a variety of reasons and not all failures were attributed to scientific or technological challenges associated…February 21, 2018In "Budget Industry"Report to Congress on Emerging Military TechnologiesThe following is the July 17, 2020 Congressional Research Service report, Emerging Military Technologies: Background and Issues for Congress From the report Members of Congress and Pentagon officials are increasingly focused on developing emerging military technologies to enhance U.S. national security and keep pace with U.S. competitors. The U.S. military…July 21, 2020In "Budget Industry"Report to Congress on Emerging Military TechnologiesThe following is the Oct. 21, 2021 Congressional Research Service report, Emerging Military Technologies: Background and Issues for Congress. From the report Members of Congress and Pentagon officials are increasingly focused on developing emerging military technologies to enhance U.S. national security and keep pace with U.S. competitors. The U.S. military…October 22, 2021In "China" Article Keywords: directed energy, HELIOS, laser, law, Missile Defense Agency, ODIN, us navy Categories: Budget Industry, Documents, News & Analysis, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy Post navigation ← U.S., NATO Need to Turn Attention to Black Sea, European Policy Experts Say CNO: Navy Will Lead DDG(X) Design Effort, Wargames Call for Fewer Large Surface Warships → Facebook Twitter LinkedIn RSS YouTube Instagram Flickr USNI Sign up for USNI News Get USNI News updates delivered to your inbox Email Address * First Name Last Name Title ---- Lieutenant First Sergeant Airman Admiral Ambassador General Brother Constructionman Cadet Captain Chief Commander Commodore Chaplain Master Chief Chief Master Sergeant Colonel Corporal Sergeant Major Mister Chief Warrant Officer Diplom-Ingenieur Dr. Ensign Fireman First Admiral Father Fleet Master Chief Force Master Chief Guarda-Marinha Gunnery Sergeant Hospitalman The Honorable Judge Justice Mayor Mr. Ms. Secretary Senator Kaptain Lance Corporal Lord Major Master MCPL Master Gunnery Sergeant Midshipman Miss Machinists Mate Mrs. Master Sergeant Sergeant Private Petty Officer Professor Rabbi Reverend Seaman Senior Chief Sir Sister Specialist Squadron Leader Staff Sergeant Wing Commander Warrant Officer * = required field Frequency Daily Weekly Categories Aviation Budget Industry China Documents Education Legislation Fleet Tracker Foreign Forces Iran Long Form Merchant Marine Military Personnel News & Analysis Piracy Russia Space Special Operations Forces Submarine Forces Surface Forces Survey The Basics Timelines U.S. Air Force U.S. Army U.S. Coast Guard U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Navy U.S. Space Force Veterans Affairs warship   Menu Skip to content Home Documents Top Stories COVID-19 Fleet and Marine Tracker Advertise About Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube USNI   © 2012-2023 U.S. NAVAL INSTITUTE Powered by Unleashed Technologies FAQ Staff Member Services call 800-233-8764 or 410-268-6110   Support USNI News Today + + Support reporting at sea! 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