Pentagon leaders observe laser-weapon tests in New Mexico

Colin Demarest

Two men in suits stand outside in front of a large drone and rail launcher. They are in suits and ties. The sun is out. — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Pentagon chief technology officer Emil Michael at the Pentagon in 2025. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Pentagon's chief technology officer, Emil Michael, on Tuesday attended a demonstration of laser and microwave weapons in New Mexico.

Why it matters: It's the first known instance "of a sitting U.S. defense secretary personally observing a live directed-energy weapon firing," according to Laser Wars, which broke the news.

The big picture: Directed-energy weapons are emerging as a relatively cheap drone countermeasure and are often lumped in with "layered defense." They have yet to be widely adopted in the real world, however.

Zoom in: Among the weapons shown off at White Sands Missile Range was the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser, based on AeroVironment's LOCUST.

LOCUST separately downed multiple drones from the deck of the USS George H.W. Bush during October trials.

Follow the money: The Trump administration's fiscal 2027 budget blueprint committed more than $2 billion to directed-energy research and development.

That sort of support plus the technology's maturation is creating a "perfect storm" that should lead to greater deployment, according to John Garrity, an AeroVironment vice president.

The intrigue: Heavy-duty lasers — 300- or 600-kilowatt — are expected aboard the Trump-class battleship, the first of which is pegged around $17 billion.

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Pentagon leaders observe laser-weapon tests in New Mexico

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