Laser Wars | Jared Keller | Substack

The Navy's Plan to Cut Its Laser Weapons in Half

The Office of Naval Research is exploring distributed laser weapons amid a service-wide focus on containerization.

READ THE LATEST

Latest

The Best Fictional Laser Weapons, According to Laser Wars Readers

I asked. You answered.

Aug 15 • Jared Keller

Here’s the Status of Every Known US Military Laser Weapon

This is the current state of play for US military laser weapons.

Jul 29 • Jared Keller

The Geography of Military Laser Weapons

Where the world's laser weapons are (that we know of)

Jul 29 • Jared Keller

Why This Small Component Could Be a Big Deal For Finally Fielding Laser Weapons

A new system from Attalon effectively transforms exquisite laser amplifiers into line-replaceable units.

Jul 24 • Jared Keller

The future of warfare, zapped directly to your inbox

Most Popular

EXCLUSIVE: Pentagon Demonstrates Laser Weapons for Hegseth

The US military fired several high-energy laser and high-power microwave weapons for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday.

Jun 23 • Jared Keller

Laser Weapon Spotted Near US-Mexico Border

A US Army vehicle sporting a laser turret was photographed training with soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border.

Aug 27, 2025 • Jared Keller

The Laser Weapon Quietly Watching Over the US Strikes on Iran

A US Navy laser weapon is bearing witness to Operation Epic Fury.

Mar 5 • Jared Keller

This Is What Laser Warfare Looks Like

Russia's response to a Ukrainian drone attack offers a glimpse at the current state of the Laser Wars.

Jun 1 • Jared Keller

Pulse: Directed Energy Digest

Pulse #008: A Secretive Pentagon Laser Weapon Test

A defense contractor sheds light on a previously unreported high-energy laser weapon exercise.

Aug 17 • Jared Keller

Pulse #007: Israel's Iron Beam Hits a Wall

“The main reason for the delay in full integration has not been disclosed."

Aug 10 • Jared Keller

Pulse #006: The Air Force Deploys Laser Weapons Overseas

Welcome back, CLaWS.

Jul 27 • Jared Keller

Laser Wars

Laser Wars

A newsletter about military laser weapons and other futuristic defense technology.

Essential Links

Exclusives

EXCLUSIVE: US Military Awards Joint Laser Weapon System Contracts

The Pentagon has tapped Lockheed Martin and nLight to build cruise missile-killing high-energy laser weapons for the “Golden Dome for America” domestic…

Jul 9 • Jared Keller

The Navy Brought a ‘One-of-a-Kind’ Laser Weapon Back From the Dead

The US Navy's lone 150 kilowatt laser weapon is back in action – sort of.

Mar 30 • Jared Keller

Here's Your First Look at the Army's Laser-Armed Infantry Squad Vehicle

The Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) breaks cover.

Apr 28, 2025 • Jared Keller

The Air Force Is Taking Another Run at Airborne Laser Weapons

The service is planning a new airborne laser weapon initiative for fiscal year 2027.

Dec 12, 2025 • Jared Keller

History

Watch Rare Footage of a US Military Laser Weapon Shooting Down a Drone in 1973

It was the first time in military history a laser weapon had disabled an aerial target.

Jan 31, 2025 • Jared Keller

The Cold War Legend of Romania’s Tank-Melting Laser Weapon

In the shadow of the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, a powerful story took root.

Sep 29, 2025 • Jared Keller

Marines in Iraq Once Requested an Airborne Laser Weapon to Torch Insurgents and Terrify Onlookers

Pentagon whistleblower Franz Gayl reflects on his vivid 2006 request for an flying laser capable of “instantaneous burst-combustion of insurgent…

Dec 17, 2025 • Jared Keller

That Time the Soviet Union Allegedly Used Lasers to Blind Mujahideen Fighters in Afghanistan

US intelligence agencies suspected Moscow was already sending directed energy weapons into battle.

Jan 5 • Jared Keller

The Secret Laser Weapon the UK Deployed During the Falklands War

The Royal Navy sent a laser weapon to the South Atlantic during the 1982 conflict between the UK and Argentina.

Jul 17, 2025 • Jared Keller

Defense Tech

Why Japan’s Electromagnetic Railgun Succeeded Where the US Navy’s Failed

Developing next-generation weapons is as much about political optics as it is technical prowess.

Apr 25, 2025 • Jared Keller

The IVAS Delusion

The US military has tried and failed to build a tactical helmet-mounted display for nearly 35 years. Can Anduril actually make it a reality?

Oct 16, 2025 • Jared Keller

The Second Life of the Pentagon’s Magic Bullet

The US military's Hypervelocity Projectile is steadily inching towards combat.

Aug 4, 2025 • Jared Keller

Forget Jet Packs: Marines Will Soon Fly Powered Paragliders Into Battle

The Marine Corps is taking a novel approach to the US military's decades-long pursuit of individual lift.

Jan 23 • Jared Keller

Laser Wars

A newsletter about military laser weapons and other futuristic defense technology.

About Archive Recommendations Sitemap

Laser Wars

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts