US Army Focuses Laser Weapons on Light Tactical Vehicles

The U.S. Army is advancing its high-energy laser weapon capabilities for counter-drone missions, with a strategic focus on integrating these systems onto light tactical vehicles. Following the discontinuation of its Stryker-based Directed Energy-Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense program, the Army has shifted its ground-based laser weapon development towards platforms such as the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). These vehicles have already undergone operational testing with AV's 20-kilowatt LOCUST Laser Weapon System under the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser initiative, demonstrating their capacity to carry and deploy directed energy weapons in field conditions.

The Army's Enduring High Energy Laser program further solidifies this direction, explicitly targeting light tactical vehicles like the JLTV for what could become the military's inaugural directed energy program of record. Both the ISV and JLTV are considered central to the military's evolving strategy for future distributed operations. The ISV, valued for its speed and adaptability, is seen as crucial for the maneuver capabilities of Mobile Brigade Combat Teams on a battlefield increasingly contested by inexpensive weaponized drones. While the JLTV's long-term deployment is still under consideration, it currently serves as the designated platform for the Marine Corps' air defense system, forming the core of the service's new Marine Littoral Regiments.

A significant hurdle for both the ISV and JLTV platforms is their power supply. As the modern battlefield becomes increasingly characterized by unmanned systems and the electronic countermeasures required to combat them, ensuring consistent and reliable power at the tactical edge is paramount, on par with the importance of traditional ammunition. The potential solutions being explored by the Army and Marine Corps for this power challenge offer insights into the future configuration of the military's fleet of laser-equipped vehicles, highlighting the critical need for robust power generation and management systems to support these advanced directed energy weapons.