The U.S. Navy has awarded a $3.8 million contract to America's largest shipbuilder, marking the company's first publicly known foray into naval laser weapon development. The deal comes as the Navy accelerates efforts to move directed-energy weapons from experimental prototypes into systems that can actually be fielded on ships.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-18
A defense technology company backed by Erik Prince has acquired a Ukrainian manufacturer of unmanned ground vehicles in a deal valued at $224 million. The acquisition marks one of the first major consolidation moves in Ukraine's fragmented drone industry, which currently includes roughly 500 companies.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-10
The US Army's Joint Task Force Southern Border used a high-energy laser weapon to destroy three drones near the Rio Grande Valley overnight on August 25-26, after officials said the drones threatened military and Customs and Border Patrol personnel. The weapon involved is the Locust Laser Weapon System, built on AeroVironment's AMP-HEL technology and delivered to the Army starting September 2025, with additional units following in December.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-02