Pentagon Picks Lockheed Martin and nLIGHT for Joint Laser Weapon System

The US Department of Defense announced on July 10, 2026 that it selected Lockheed Martin’s Aculight division and nLIGHT Defense as lead developers for the Joint Laser Weapon System (JLWS) program. According to Pentagon figures, the initial award is worth $86 million with a ceiling of up to $847 million; nLIGHT reported its own portion at $44 million initial with a $627 million ceiling.

Initial prototypes under the program will deliver 150 kilowatts for counter-drone missions, with planned scaling to the 300-500 kilowatt range for cruise missile defense. A separate High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative is concurrently developing an integrated 500-kilowatt system. Both efforts favor containerized designs suitable for ground and sea-based deployment.

Lockheed Martin Vice President Paul Lemmo said the company could “rapidly build containerized laser weapons in the near term” by leveraging its expertise in reducing size, weight and power. nLIGHT CEO Scott Keeney said the award “reflects increasing focus on transitioning directed energy from prototype to deployed capability at scale.” Emil Michael of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering said the Pentagon “must actively defend against emerging threats” through rapid directed energy delivery.

The Pentagon is prioritizing laser weapons as a cost-effective air defense layer in response to drone saturation tactics observed in recent conflicts. The move signals accelerating momentum among NATO allies toward operational deployment of directed energy weapons.

Source: Breaking Defense, Pentagon statements.