Pete Hegseth got a live look at the Pentagon’s laser weapons

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth observed a live demonstration of several directed energy weapons at the U.S. Army’s White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on Tuesday, marking the first known instance of a sitting U.S. defense secretary witnessing such a firing. Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael stated that the Pentagon has significantly increased investment in directed energy technologies, emphasizing a focus on rapid delivery to warfighters and addressing challenges in manufacturability, reliability, and integration. The demonstration included the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) utilizing AV’s 20 kilowatt LOCUST Laser Weapon System, the "P5 version" of the Army’s 50 kw Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (DE-MSHORAD) from nLight, and Lockheed Martin's 300 kw Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High Energy Laser (IFPC-HEL) named "Valkyrie." Also showcased were an Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High Power Microwave (IFPC-HPM) system based on Epirus's Leonidas, and a high-power microwave variant of Raytheon’s Coyote interceptor, likely the Block 3 Non-Kinetic (BNK) system. While these programs are managed by individual service branches, Michael's office is increasing its involvement through the new Joint Laser Weapon System (JLWS) initiative to advance directed energy capabilities.