Exclusive: Aurelius aims to be America's one-stop laser shop
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Aurelius Systems is launching a manufacturing division to domestically produce industrial and defense lasers as well as their key components.
Why it matters: Directed energy weapons rely on precious pieces and materials, and supply chain concerns are top of mind following COVID-era disruptions and China's more recent throttling of critical minerals.
- "We barely have any facilities that are producing in the country — at least anything in volume," Aurelius CEO Michael LaFramboise told Axios.
- "The U.S. defense industrial complex has done a good job of keeping scientists and really highly educated engineers employed," he added. "We just didn't do it with the industrial space, our capacity to produce."
Driving the news: The division, announced Wednesday, will pump out high-power fiber laser source modules and precision optical assemblies.
- It will be about six months until parts roll off the line, however.
Zoom out: The Trump administration's fiscal 2027 budget blueprint included more than $2 billion for development and testing of directed-energy systems.
- "The Pentagon budget's amazing," LaFramboise said.
- "It's pretty clear that directed energy is going to be a significant part of our defense industry," he added. "I think the form that it takes and the volume that it takes are still to be determined. But, without a doubt, we don't make enough of the sources."
Context: Aurelius, based in California, makes the Archimedes laser turret. The startup raised $10 million in September.
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