Laura DeSimone, executive director of the Missile Defense Agency, said MDA has placed “increased emphasis” on efforts to develop directed energy weapons systems against adversary missiles and has witnessed “that technology maturation is happening” within the industry, the Department of Energy and at national laboratories, Breaking Defense reported Thursday.
“I mean, there have been some really impressive results,” DeSimone said. “We’ve been doing studies all along, and looking at lethality effects and doing experimentation. But we think that, finally, we’re starting to see some real progress and, and so that’s why the increased emphasis.”
DeSimone noted that directed energy comes with great potential.
“I mean, there’s so many advantages of having a potential directed-energy engagement system — give the warfighter additional engagement opportunities, save interceptors, lower cost per engagement,” she said.
Related Articles
David Voelker, zero trust lead at the Department of the Navy, is pushing for the introduction of artificial intelligence into DON’s zero trust strategy. In a conversation with Federal News Network, Voelker explained that AI can provide user and entity behavioral analytics to enhance authentication. Voelker is one of many distinguished speakers at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit on Aug. 26. Register here for the in-person GovCon event. How AI Can Enhance Zero Trust According to the official, MITRE’s Adversarial Tactics, Techniques, and Common Knowledge, or ATT&CK, framework can be transformed into artificial neural networks that could detect
The United States’ review of the AUKUS security partnership is expected to conclude this fall, Axios reported Wednesday. Led by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, the review is examining how the trilateral agreement, which began under the Biden administration, aligns with the priorities of the Trump administration. Colby previously voiced skepticism over how U.S. resources are allocated under AUKUS, though he also said Washington should “do everything we can to make this work.” Learn about the latest AUKUS trilateral agreement developments at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Navy Summit, where maritime leaders and Navy experts will address the most critical
The U.S. Army has issued an organization-wide memo to guide the optimization of systems critical to operations. Signed by Leonel Garciga, the service’s chief information officer and a two-time Wash100 winner, the Defense Business System, or DBS, Determination and Implementation Guidance offers clarifications, ensures accountability and enhances governance of the Army’s IT infrastructure. What Is DBS? A DBS is an IT system being used within the Department of Defense to support core business operations, including financial management, budgeting, planning, contracting, logistics, and human resources training and management. It does not cover systems that are utilized for military, intelligence and national