US Military to Test Laser Weapon in New Mexico

🔎 Defense Tech Signal — Thursday • CENTCOM confirmed the first combat use of the Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), marking the operational debut of its next-generation long-range fires capability and a milestone in post-ATACMS modernization. • The Defense Innovation Unit issued a solicitation for Autonomous Low-Profile Vessels to resupply forces in contested littoral environments, signaling expanded demand for unmanned maritime logistics under Force Design and distributed ops concepts. • Senators pressed DoD and federal agencies over recent counter-UAS incidents in Texas as the Pentagon prepares a high-energy counter-drone laser test with the FAA, highlighting policy and airspace integration friction around domestic drone defense. Sources: 1) Breaking Defense — https://lnkd.in/eDHPXEBw 2) DefenseScoop — https://lnkd.in/ewGK9Bw9 3) DefenseScoop — https://lnkd.in/edCZ5YVd For a continuously updated feed of defense tech signals: https://natsecpulse.com — Support — NatSecPulse is independently curated. Occasional sponsorships help support ongoing coverage and infrastructure.

After two high-profile incidents, the US Defense Department and Federal Aviation Administration are planning a joint test of a laser system this weekend designed to shoot down drones, according to a statement from the military. “This test is part of a long-term, multi-year partnership between the Department of War and the FAA to ensure counter-drone technologies are safely integrated into the national airspace,” Joint Interagency Task Force 401 said in a statement. The operation, on March 7 and 8 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, comes after two uses of anti-drone laser systems on the southern border prompted calls for Congressional investigations.

𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 — 𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝟮/𝗔𝗗 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 A Russian military analysis channel recently outlined how Iran could attempt to counter a U.S. amphibious operation near its island positions in the Persian Gulf. The concept is based on a layered #A2AD architecture combining ISR drones, saturation strikes and ballistic missiles. But the logic behind it will look familiar to anyone following #DroneWarfare in Ukraine. 🚁 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟭 — Persistent ISR   Low-observable UAVs such as Shahed-171 and Shahed-181 conduct continuous surveillance of expeditionary forces, providing real-time targeting data to Iranian command networks. 🛩 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟮 — Drone saturation   Large numbers of Shahed-136 strike drones are launched in swarms to overwhelm ship-borne air defenses and rapidly exhaust interceptor stocks. 🎯 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟯 — Precision strike   Once radar systems are saturated and defensive missile inventories reduced, Fateh-family ballistic missiles target troop transports and naval fire-support vessels. The goal is straightforward:   disrupt the landing force before it ever reaches the coastline. This layered approach mirrors an emerging pattern in modern conflict. Unmanned systems increasingly act as the first wave —   probing defenses, saturating sensors and shaping the battlespace. Only then do precision weapons deliver the decisive strike. From the Black Sea to the Red Sea, the pattern is becoming increasingly clear. 𝘐𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘦, 𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘴.

US Military Awards $20B Counter-Drone Contract JIATF 401 has secured a $20 billion enterprise agreement unifying counter-drone command and control across the US military and federal agencies. Anduril's Lattice platform will serve as the common backbone, eliminating fragmented procurement and boosting interoperability. A decisive step forward in drone defence. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dAVXqe4q #CounterUAS #DroneDefence #JIATF401 #DefenceNews #Lattice

🇺🇦At any major international defense event, Ukraine’s military-industrial sector consistently draws crowds of interested visitors. These include European industry peers, military personnel, officials responsible for political decisions and defense budgets—and even industrial spies seeking to replicate the technologies. Ukraine’s defense industry impresses with its ingenuity, affordability, and real combat experience behind every development. This is not theory—these are solutions already proven on the battlefield. In mid-March, Brussels hosted the large-scale defense conference BEDEX. Alongside discussions on counter-drone strategies, Ukrainian manufacturers showcased unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) — robotic systems that are already reshaping the rules of warfare. Read more via the link: https://lnkd.in/epEc2xny

Raytheon Secures U.S. Army Contract for Coyote Counter-UAS System Raytheon, an RTX company, has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Army to support continued production and deployment of the Coyote counter-UAS missile system. Designed to detect and defeat hostile drones, the Coyote platform plays a growing role in layered air defense and force protection against rapidly evolving unmanned threats. Programs like Coyote depend on precision engineering and reliable manufacturing across the defense supply chain. Liberty Electronics supports advanced aerospace and defense platforms with high-quality cable assemblies, wiring harnesses, and electromechanical solutions engineered to meet the reliability and performance requirements of mission-critical systems. Read more: https://loom.ly/xFD1jlo

U.S. Military and FAA Test High-Energy Counter-Drone Laser JIATF-401 and the FAA conducted a high-energy laser counter-UAS test at White Sands Missile Range on March 7–8, marking a major step in integrating directed-energy weapons into U.S. airspace. A broad federal coalition is driving the push to field advanced drone countermeasures for homeland defence. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dz764EZA #CounterDrone #DirectedEnergy #HomelandDefence #CUAS #DefenceTech #Airspace

𝗨𝗸𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗢 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗳𝗮𝗿𝗲 During NATO REPMUS / Dynamic Messenger 2025 off the coast of Portugal, a Ukrainian-led “red force” reportedly demonstrated the operational impact of maritime drones in realistic scenarios. In several cases, NATO naval units were *successfully engaged* under exercise conditions — including simulated targeting of high-value platforms. ⚠️ No ships were actually destroyed. Engagements were determined by detection and targeting: – drone locks first → simulated kill   – ship detects first → interception  🎯 The key takeaway is not new technology… but proven tactics. Low-signature maritime drones, used in coordinated scenarios, can: – approach undetected   – compress reaction time   – challenge traditional naval defense layers  ⚠️ This reflects a broader shift: Naval survivability is no longer defined only by armor or interceptors… but by sensor performance and reaction speed. This is not theoretical. It is being tested — and refined — in NATO exercises. 💬 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵… 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.

The traditional military procurement cycle has been upended by weapons composed from consumer electronics that are cheap, replaceable, and constantly evolving, writes Anne Neuberger.

The emergence of drone warfare across African conflicts is closely tied to transnational networks of military assistance, private security actors, and global technology supply chains.