E-HEL
US Army programme to select a production-ready high-energy laser for counter-drone duty.
Last refreshed: 5 April 2026
Which weapon — laser, microwave, or hybrid — will the Army choose to replace Patriot missiles for drone defence?
Latest on E-HEL
- What is E-HEL?
- The Enduring High Energy Laser is a US Army competition to select a fielded directed-energy counter-drone weapon, with a winner expected in Q2 FY2026.Source: drones-industry-defence
- Why does the Army want a directed-energy weapon for drones?
- Missile intercepts cost 80-200 times more than the drones they destroy. A laser or microwave weapon would dramatically reduce the cost per kill at scale.Source: drones-industry-defence
- What systems are competing in E-HEL?
- Laser-based and high-power microwave (HPM) systems. Epirus's Leonidas HPM was unveiled at AUSA Global Force in March 2026 as a leading contender.Source: drones-industry-defence
Background
The Army's E-HEL (Enduring High Energy Laser) competition is the US military's primary procurement pathway for a fielded directed-energy weapon capable of replacing missile-based counter-drone systems. A winner is expected in Q2 FY2026, determining whether laser, microwave, or hybrid is judged production-ready. Epirus revealed its Leonidas AGV high-power microwave contender at AUSA Global Force in March 2026.
Directed-energy weapons have been under US development for over two decades but have repeatedly failed the transition from prototype to fielded system. E-HEL is designed to break that cycle by mandating operational demonstrations rather than laboratory metrics. The US Navy's ODIN laser was confirmed in combat deployment aboard a destroyer during Operation Epic Fury in 2026, providing the first live proof of concept for naval directed energy.
The strategic driver is cost asymmetry. Iran's Gulf campaign showed Shahed drones cost $20,000-$50,000 each, while Patriot intercepts cost 80-200 times more per kill. A fielded E-HEL system would invert that equation for low-altitude drone threats.
