The U.S. Army is moving forward with its plans to acquire high-energy laser weapons designed to destroy enemy drones.
In an Oct. 30 request for information (RFI), the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) Directed Energy Project Office (DEPO) asked for feedback on its Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) production effort and the potential for a competitive source selection as early as the second quarter of fiscal 2026.
Specifically, the RCCTO DEPO is seeking information on potential sources that could provide the technical skills, facilities, tooling, and personnel to produce a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) High Energy Laser (HEL) weapon system to protect semi-fixed and maneuver forces against Groups 1-3 UASs.
Groups 1-3 UASs in the Pentagon refer to smaller, tactical drones. These drones are used for close-range reconnaissance and surveillance missions and operate at lower altitudes and speeds.
According to the RFI, the service intends to produce up to 20 E-HELs using a modular open system approach, leveraging range-proven laser and beam-control technologies.
E-HEL is expected to produce a hard kill – an inability for the UAS to maintain flight – of Group 1 and 2 UAS (those under 50 pounds) and a one-way attack effect against Group 3 UAS (those 56-1230 pounds). DEPO will witness key attributes, including fluence, tracker performance, engagement track range, and laser quality track, to determine whether systems that do not achieve a hard kill on Group 3 UAS have the potential to scale and be lethal against Group 3 one-way-attack threat UAS.
The E-HEL weapon systems is expected to support both semi-fixed and maneuver operations, capable of operating in a palletized configuration or integrated onto a standard Army Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
Notably, the E-HEL could be networked with other sensors. According to the RFI, the platform will track Group 1-3 UASs in both “blue-sky and cluttered conditions based upon accepting external Forward Area Air Defense cues to the UAS.”
According to the RFI, officials plan to host a technology demonstration at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah in December and January, giving vendors without recent government-witnessed test data a chance to demonstrate their systems against Groups 1 and 3 UAS alongside DEPO representatives.
Responses to the RFI are due Nov. 21.