From the U.S. Government Accountability Office, www.gao.gov

Transcript for: Directed Energy Weapons

Description: Jon Ludwigson discusses our April 2023 report on Directed
Energy Weapons.

DOD spends about $1 billion annually on directed energy--concentrated
electromagnetic energy--weapons, including high energy lasers and high
powered microwaves. DOD has pursued these potentially transformative
technologies for decades because they could provide considerable
advantages. They can deliver destructive or disruptive effects to
targets at the speed of light and have potentially significant
advantages over kinetic weapons, such as guns and missiles, including
lower per-use cost.

Related GAO Works: GAO-23-105868.  Directed Energy Weapons: DOD Should
Focus on Transition Planning

Released: April 2023

[ GAO's Jon Ludwigson, Director, Director, Contracting and National
Security Acquisitions, speaking to the camera ]

[Jon Ludwigson: ]

The Department of Defense spends about $1 billion annually developing
directed energy weapons such as high energy lasers and high powered
microwaves.  These weapons can disrupt or destroy their targets at the
speed of light.  For example,  DoD has developed high energy lasers that
have successfully shot down drones.  But speed isn't their only
advantage.  They're also less expensive for use than traditional
weapons, like guns and missiles. Despite those potential advantages, DoD
has had trouble getting these technologies out of the lab and into
service. The Army has developed a detailed transition plan to support
moving these weapons into the next stages of development.  We
recommended that the Navy and the Air Force develop similar plans.

[ End ]

For more info, check out our report GAO-23-105868 at: GAO.gov