Using a beam of light as a weapon may not be a recent military development. If the legend is true, Greek mathematician and engineer Archimedes directed the rays of the sun at enemy ships using mirrors—thousands of years ago. Today, directed energy weapons use high-energy lasers and high-power microwave systems against emerging threats.
It is time to get these weapons into the hands of U.S. warfighters. What are the steps needed to develop and field directed energy capabilities? There is a need to address operational considerations of directed energy weapons, such as testing and training. Plus, industry needs to keep building awareness of the potential of directed energy. And, prototypes are needed in the field for testing.
Directed energy’s applications for missile defense are real. Read more on my perspective at Fortune.com.
