Lasers versus drones in huge American exercise

The U.S. Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX) event has showcased a range of emerging defence technologies, including laser weapon systems (LWS) and additive manufacturing for drone production, in a week-long testing and experimentation exercise, according to a press release.

Held at Camp Roberts, California, from 3-7 February, the event saw participation from 23 industry partners testing 24 new technologies across areas such as counter-drone systems, artificial intelligence, cyber security, and precision strike capabilities. Despite heavy storms affecting flight conditions, a record-breaking 85 drone sorties were flown in a single day across three tactical sites.

JIFX Director, retired U.S. Army Special Forces Colonel Michael Richardson, described the event as “the most engaging experimentation week since before the pandemic,” highlighting how adverse weather conditions mirrored real-world operational challenges. “Several firms accomplished firsts with their systems and nearly everyone collaborated in an ad-hoc experiment or two that demonstrated their capacity to address operational challenges more effectively together.”

Among the technologies tested was an LWS developed by Aurelius Systems, which successfully engaged static and towed drones at distances of 50 and 110 metres—marking the longest range the company had achieved.

“We’re demonstrating that if there’s a drone out there, we can enter a sentry mode, scan an area of the sky, identify the drone, track it, and bring the laser to bear on it,” said Michael Laframboise, founder and CEO of Aurelius Systems. The company intends to return to the next JIFX in May with a more powerful laser system capable of targeting free-flying drones.

In a separate demonstration, Chariot Defense showcased its advanced high-voltage battery system as an alternative power source for the LWS, replacing traditional generators that were heavier, louder, and had higher thermal signatures. Chariot’s battery successfully powered the laser system and retained enough capacity for over 1,000 additional shots.

“More and more, on today’s modern battlefield, there’s a demand for power—to power computers for AI, to power sensors, to power electronic warfare equipment,” said Chariot founder and CEO Adam Warmoth.

Meanwhile, Firestorm Labs demonstrated its mobile expeditionary additive manufacturing station, xCell, which allows for rapid production of airframe components for the company’s modular Tempest drone. The system, housed in a shipping container, was designed to enable drone manufacturing in contested logistics environments.

“During development, we realised there’s also a much broader need for xCell as a producer for spare parts and other drones. It doesn’t even have to be our drones. So, we really embrace that,” said Bill Buel, vice president of hardware at Firestorm.

The Tempest drone itself features a modular design, allowing operators to swap out payloads and propulsion systems depending on mission requirements. It can carry between 10-20 pounds of payload and has a range of 100-675 miles, with either a turbojet for high-speed operations or a pusher propeller for extended endurance.

The February JIFX event was sponsored by NavalX, an innovation arm of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, which introduced a new artificial intelligence-based system called the Defence Innovation Navigation Assistant (DINA) to assist in tracking and evaluating emerging technologies.