Laser Wars

Laser Wars

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 missile defense shield.

Jared Keller's avatar
Jared Keller
Jul 09, 2026
∙ Paid
An artist’s rendering of Lockheed Martin’s 300 kilowatt Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High Energy Laser (IFPC-HEL) system. (Lockheed Martin)

The US Defense Department has awarded a combined $86 million to Lockheed Martin and nLight under the Joint Laser Weapons System (JLWS) program to develop high-energy laser weapons capable of defeating cruise m…

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