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US Army Abandons Its Most Powerful Laser Weapon Before It Reaches Full Deployment
Key Takeaways
- The US Army will not advance its 300-kilowatt IFPC-HEL laser system to a program of record
- The weapon reached the power threshold for defeating missiles and drones but failed to meet operational requirements
- Beam quality, atmospheric degradation, thermal management, and fire control integration challenges contributed to the decision
- Lower-power 50-kilowatt directed energy programs continue to advance with more realistic near-term fielding prospects
- The cancellation underscores the persistent gap between lab laser performance and battlefield readiness
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DT Editorial Team··via defensenews.com