- Capability group
- Energy Technologies
- Domain
- Critical Technology · Hard Power
- Identifier
- factbase.org/cap/6ETBWPAY0D
- Reference
- Directed-energy weapon Wikipedia
Papers
2.4k
2020–2024
Paper growth
+18%
2020–24 on 2015–19
Patent families
2k
2020–2024
Filed abroad
40%
families in more than one office
What it covers
What the capability covers and what it leaves to others, and the indicators it will be measured by.
Bounds
Covers the technology base; employment as a weapon or defeat mechanism belongs to National Security's strike, shield and counter-uncrewed capabilities.
Lineage
Carried from v0.0 with the same identifier; retained in this group on the logic that the binding constraints are energy technologies, power, storage, thermal management and beam control, with the employment seam to National Security stated.
Indicators
- research publication share in directed energyResearch
- demonstrated laser power levelsPending
- directed energy programmes in testPending
Who publishes it
Papers classified to the capability, by year and by the nation of their authors' institutions, 2020–2024. Read from the v0.0 research topic Directed energy technologies.
Papers by year
The five leading nations, papers by year
Share of papers, 2020–2024
Of papers with a known author nation; 35% have none and are left out.
- 1United States17.6%361 papers
- 2China16.9%345 papers
- 3Germany9.0%184 papers
- 4United Kingdom6.9%141 papers
- 5Russia5.8%119 papers
- 6India5.0%103 papers
- 7France4.7%96 papers
- 8Japan3.7%76 papers
- 9Czechia3.2%66 papers
- 10Italy3.2%65 papers
Leading institutions, 2020–2024
By fractional count: each paper divided among its authors' institutions.
- 1Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory45fractional papers
- 2Lovely Professional University26fractional papers
- 3Los Alamos National Laboratory17fractional papers
- 4Shanghai Jiao Tong University15fractional papers
- 5Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics14fractional papers
- 6Chinese Academy of Sciences14fractional papers
- 7China Academy of Engineering Physics13fractional papers
- 8University of California, San Diego12fractional papers
- 9Sandia National Laboratories12fractional papers
- 10P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences10fractional papers
Who patents it
Patent families by the nation of origin of their applicants and their earliest priority year, from the CPC and IPC classes the capability is read from. 2025 onwards is incomplete: families are published 18 months after priority.
Families by priority year
The five leading origins, families by year
1,184 applicants filed here in 2015–2024; the five largest held 12% of families (HHI 60 of 10,000: unconcentrated).
Share of families by origin, 2020–2024
- 1China49.2%1,005 families
- 2United States17.4%356 families
- 3Japan8.5%173 families
- 4Germany7.5%154 families
- 5South Korea4.9%100 families
- 6United Kingdom2.8%58 families
- 7France1.8%37 families
- 8Israel1.8%37 families
- 9Netherlands1.2%24 families
- 10Canada0.6%13 families
Applicants filing most internationally, 2015–2024
Families filed in more than one office, by applicant as the offices name them.
- 1GIGAPHOTON INC125international families
- 2Cymer LLC72international families
- 3RAYTHEON CO46international families
- 4ASML NETHERLANDS BV37international families
- 5BAE SYSTEMS PLC34international families
- 6TRUMPF LASER GMBH33international families
- 7CYMER INC31international families
- 8FUJIKURA LTD31international families
- 9HUAWEI TECH CO LTD30international families
- 10NEC CORP27international families
Classification read
- F41H13/0043 Directed-energy weapons: laser, microwave, radio-frequency beams · 5.8k documents
- F41H13/0093 Electromagnetic pulse devices · 438 documents
- H01S3/23 Combined and amplified multi-laser arrangements for high power · 29.1k documents
- H01J25/00 High-power microwave tubes: klystrons, magnetrons, travelling-wave tubes · 20k documents
Shares inventions with
Capabilities whose classes the same families also fall in, by overlap (Jaccard).
- Superconducting, Magnetic & Photonic Materials411 families · 0.029
- Advanced Optical Communication & Photonics726 families · 0.014
Who makes it
The companies that research, design, make, supply and operate the technology, the global leaders and the leading firms of every region.
50 companies in this capability, from 18 nations across 6 regions. Sorted by how experts see each company's global relevance in the field, from very high to very low.
- Very high4 companies
- 1Very highSystems integrationBethesdaUnited States1995121kLMT
Builds the US Army's 300 kW-class IFPC-HEL and the Navy's 60 kW HELIOS shipboard laser, using spectral beam combining of fiber lasers.
Very high relevance · Systems integration · United States, Bethesda · founded 1995 · 121k staff
- 2Very highSystems integrationArlingtonUnited States1922186kRTX
Its Raytheon business fielded the first operational US Army laser (DE M-SHORAD / H4 HELWS) and the Phaser and CHIMERA high-power microwave counter-drone systems, and has exported HELWS to the UAE.
Very high relevance · Systems integration · United States, Arlington · founded 1922 · 186k staff
- 3Very highSystems integrationHaifaIsrael1948–State-owned
Rafael Advanced Defense SystemsDeveloped Iron Beam, a 100 kW-class high-energy laser air defence system that Israel declared operational in 2025, along with the lighter Lite Beam and Iron Beam M variants.
Very high relevance · Systems integration · Israel, Haifa · founded 1948
- 4Very highSystems integrationFalls ChurchUnited States193997kNOC
Pioneered megawatt-class chemical lasers and the Joint High Power Solid-State Laser, and supplies beam control, high-energy laser sources and the Navy's Laser Weapon System Demonstrator.
Very high relevance · Systems integration · United States, Falls Church · founded 1939 · 97k staff
- High7 companies
- 5HighSystems integrationArlingtonUnited States1916172kBA
Boeing built the Airborne Laser and the CLAWS/Compact Laser Weapon System, and makes beam directors through its Boeing Directed Energy Systems unit.
High relevance · Systems integration · United States, Arlington · founded 1916 · 172k staff
- 6HighSystems integrationLe Plessis-RobinsonFrance200115kPrivate
Leads the UK DragonFire laser weapon consortium, develops a laser effector with Rheinmetall for the German Navy, and co-owns French laser specialist CILAS (HELMA-P).
High relevance · Systems integration · France, Le Plessis-Robinson · founded 2001 · 15k staff
- 7HighHardware & devicesSan DiegoUnited States1955–Private
Its Electromagnetic Systems unit develops distributed-gain high-energy lasers of 250-300 kW and directed energy power and thermal subsystems.
High relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, San Diego · founded 1955
- 8HighComponents & subsystemsCamasUnited States2000–LASR
US maker of semiconductor and fiber lasers that builds coherently combined high-energy laser sources for US DoD programmes, including a 70 kW laser weapon it showed at Eurosatory 2026.
High relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Camas · founded 2000
- 9HighSystems integrationDüsseldorfGermany188931kRHM
Developed the laser weapon demonstrator trialled with MBDA on the German frigate Sachsen and builds high-energy laser weapon stations for ground air defence.
High relevance · Systems integration · Germany, Düsseldorf · founded 1889 · 31k staff
- 10HighSystems integrationBeijingChina1956–State-owned
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC)State aerospace group whose institutes developed the LW-30 vehicle-mounted laser air defence system and other Chinese high-energy laser programmes.
High relevance · Systems integration · China, Beijing · founded 1956
- 11HighHardware & devicesTorranceUnited States2018––
Builds Leonidas, a solid-state high-power microwave system bought by the US Army for IFPC-HPM counter-drone-swarm prototypes.
High relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Torrance · founded 2018
- Moderate19 companies
- 12ModerateSystems integrationLondonUnited Kingdom1999100kBA.
A major directed energy patent applicant that supplies beam director and pointing work for laser weapons and RF directed energy research in the UK and US.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · United Kingdom, London · founded 1999 · 100k staff
- 13ModerateComponents & subsystemsSaxonburgUnited States197126kCOHR
Supplies laser gain materials, high-power optics, diode pumps and fiber laser components to high-energy laser builders.
Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Saxonburg · founded 1971 · 26k staff
- 14ModerateComponents & subsystemsMarlboroughUnited States19904,600IPGP
World leader in high-power fiber lasers, which are the commercial base for most current laser weapons, and it has launched its own CROSSBOW counter-drone laser.
Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Marlborough · founded 1990 · 4,600 staff
- 15ModerateHardware & devicesArlingtonUnited States19711,475AVAV
Acquired BlueHalo in 2025, gaining the LOCUST laser weapon system the US Army uses for its AMP-HEL and P-HEL counter-drone lasers.
Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Arlington · founded 1971 · 1,475 staff
- 16ModerateEquipment & machineryDitzingenGermany192319kPrivate
Makes the high-power CO2 drive laser for ASML's EUV lithography sources and industrial multi-kilowatt disk and fiber lasers, and is a top directed energy patent applicant.
Moderate relevance · Equipment & machinery · Germany, Ditzingen · founded 1923 · 19k staff
- 17ModerateComponents & subsystemsOyamaJapan2000–Private
Komatsu subsidiary that is the largest international patent applicant in this field, making excimer lithography light sources and laser-produced-plasma EUV sources.
Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · Japan, Oyama · founded 2000
- 18ModerateEquipment & machineryVeldhovenNetherlands198444kASML
Through its subsidiary Cymer it builds DUV excimer lasers and laser-produced-plasma EUV sources, a leading civil use of high-power pulsed lasers, and it is a top patent applicant here.
Moderate relevance · Equipment & machinery · Netherlands, Veldhoven · founded 1984 · 44k staff
- 19ModerateSystems integrationHaifaIsrael196620kESLT
Co-developer of Iron Beam's high-power laser source with Rafael, and developer of airborne laser interception for Israel's MoD.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · Israel, Haifa · founded 1966 · 20k staff
- 20ModerateSystems integrationMoscowRussia2007–State-owned
Its RFNC-VNIIEF nuclear centre in Sarov developed the Peresvet laser system and the Zadira laser complex that Russia says is in service.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · Russia, Moscow · founded 2007
- 21ModerateSystems integrationBeijingChina1980–State-ownedChina North Industries Group (NORINCO Group)
State land-systems group that markets vehicle-mounted laser counter-drone systems and laser dazzlers shown at Zhuhai and in China's 2025 parade.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · China, Beijing · founded 1980
- 22ModerateProfessional & data servicesBeijingChina1992–State-owned
Its Poly Technologies arm exports the Silent Hunter 30 kW fiber-laser counter-drone system, deployed in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
Moderate relevance · Professional & data services · China, Beijing · founded 1992
- 23ModerateHardware & devicesCanberraAustralia1983–EOS
Australian maker of the Apollo 100 kW-class high-energy laser weapon, which in 2025 won what was billed as the first export order for a 100 kW laser.
Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · Australia, Canberra · founded 1983
- 24ModerateHardware & devicesChangwonSouth Korea1977–012450
Builds Korea's Block-I 'Skylight' 20 kW-class laser counter-drone weapon, which the Republic of Korea armed forces began deploying in 2024.
Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · South Korea, Changwon · founded 1977
- 25ModerateSystems integrationRomeItaly194860kLDO
A DragonFire consortium partner that supplies the beam director, and its US arm Leonardo DRS integrates directed energy on Army platforms.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · Italy, Rome · founded 1948 · 60k staff
- 26ModerateSystems integrationParisFrance189383kHO
Supplies ultra-intense lasers (e.g. the ELI-NP 10 PW system) and works on high-power microwave and laser counter-UAS effectors.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · France, Paris · founded 1893 · 83k staff
- 27ModerateProfessional & data servicesFarnboroughUnited Kingdom2001–QQ.
Leads laser source development within the UK DragonFire consortium and runs the UK's RF directed energy demonstrator programmes.
Moderate relevance · Professional & data services · United Kingdom, Farnborough · founded 2001
- 28ModerateProfessional & data servicesRestonUnited States196948kLDOS
Through Dynetics it was prime integrator for the US Army's 100 kW-class HEL-TVD and is a lead integrator on IFPC high-power microwave prototypes.
Moderate relevance · Professional & data services · United States, Reston · founded 1969 · 48k staff
- 29ModerateSystems integrationBeijingChina2002–State-ownedChina Electronics Technology Group (CETC)
State electronics group whose institutes develop high-power microwave sources and laser counter-UAS systems for the PLA.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · China, Beijing · founded 2002
- 30ModerateSystems integrationÜberlingenGermany1902–Private
Europe's main developer of high-power electromagnetic (HPEM) effectors such as HPEM counter-UAS and vehicle-stopping systems.
Moderate relevance · Systems integration · Germany, Überlingen · founded 1902
- Low16 companies
- 31LowSystems integrationAnkaraTürkiye197511kASELS
Turkey's main defence electronics firm, which makes the GÖKBERK laser counter-drone system and other directed energy and laser effectors.
Low relevance · Systems integration · Türkiye, Ankara · founded 1975 · 11k staff
- 32LowHardware & devicesAnkaraTürkiye1988–State-owned
Developed the ALKA directed energy weapon, which combines a laser and electromagnetic jamming and was reportedly used against drones in Libya.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Türkiye, Ankara · founded 1988
- 33LowComponents & subsystemsWuhanChina2007–300747Wuhan Raycus Fiber Laser Technologies
China's largest fiber laser maker, supplying multi-kilowatt to tens-of-kilowatt fiber lasers that form the domestic high-power laser base.
Low relevance · Components & subsystems · China, Wuhan · founded 2007
- 34LowHardware & devicesTokyo / KobeJapan1896–7012
Prime contractor for Japan's ATLA vehicle-mounted high-energy laser counter-drone system that is under test.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Japan, Tokyo / Kobe · founded 1896
- 35LowHardware & devicesTokyoJapan188477k7011
Develops shipboard high-energy laser and high-power microwave systems for Japan's ATLA, including the laser unveiled at DSEI Japan.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1884 · 77k staff
- 36LowHardware & devicesBengaluruIndia19548,900BEL
India's state defence electronics maker and DRDO's production partner for the Mk-II(A) 30 kW laser DEW and the D4 anti-drone system.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · India, Bengaluru · founded 1954 · 8,900 staff
- 37LowComponents & subsystemsHamamatsuJapan1953–6965
Supplies high-power laser diodes, diode-pumped lasers and photodetectors used in high-energy laser research such as the inertial fusion lasers at Japan's ILE.
Low relevance · Components & subsystems · Japan, Hamamatsu · founded 1953
- 38LowHardware & devicesTokyoJapan1921150k6503
Develops high-power microwave and solid-state laser sources and power electronics for Japanese directed energy programmes.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1921 · 150k staff
- 39LowSystems integrationSingaporeSingapore196727kS63
Unveiled its 3 kW Counter-Drone Laser Effector (CDLE) at the 2026 Singapore Airshow and showed it at Eurosatory 2026.
Low relevance · Systems integration · Singapore, Singapore · founded 1967 · 27k staff
- 40LowResearch & IPTaoyuanTaiwan1969–State-owned
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST)Taiwan's state defence R&D foundation, which develops high-energy laser counter-drone weapons and has tested them publicly.
Low relevance · Research & IP · Taiwan, Taoyuan · founded 1969
- 41LowComponents & subsystemsTokyoJapan1885–5803
Makes high-power fiber lasers and the specialty optical fiber and combiners that fiber-based directed energy sources rely on, and is a top patent applicant here.
Low relevance · Components & subsystems · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1885
- 42LowEquipment & machineryMunichGermany1933–Private
Developing the THORIS laser combat system, reported ready by 2028, as part of its counter-drone portfolio.
Low relevance · Equipment & machinery · Germany, Munich · founded 1933
- 43LowHardware & devicesMoscowRussia2007–State-owned
State defence conglomerate whose holdings (Ruselectronics, Shvabe) develop high-power microwave and laser counter-drone systems and laser optics for Russian forces.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Russia, Moscow · founded 2007
- 44LowComponents & subsystemsLannionFrance1970–LBIRD
European maker of pulsed solid-state and fiber lasers that supplies defence laser sources and high-energy lasers for scientific facilities.
Low relevance · Components & subsystems · France, Lannion · founded 1970
- 45LowHardware & devicesMelbourneAustralia–––
Makes the Fractl portable high-power laser counter-drone weapon, one of the few such lasers reported to have been deployed operationally.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Australia, Melbourne
- 46LowHardware & devicesJerusalemIsrael–––
Develops coherent beam-combining fiber lasers with dynamic beam shaping and has supplied high-energy laser sources for defence programmes.
Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Israel, Jerusalem
- Very low4 companies
- 47Very lowSystems integrationAbu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates2019–State-owned
UAE state defence group whose electronic-warfare subsidiary SIGN4L is co-developing a high-energy laser weapon with MBDA and CILAS.
Very low relevance · Systems integration · United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi · founded 2019
- 48Very lowResearch & IPTucsonUnited States2002–AERG
Develops ultrashort-pulse lasers and laser-guided energy (laser-induced plasma channel) technology under US DoD contracts.
Very low relevance · Research & IP · United States, Tucson · founded 2002
- 49Very lowHardware & devicesPuneIndia2023––
Startup that in May 2026 delivered what reports call India's first private-sector-built laser directed energy weapon to the Indian Army, with a 2-50 kW product line.
Very low relevance · Hardware & devices · India, Pune · founded 2023
- 50Very lowHardware & devicesUndisclosedUkraine––Private
Ukrainian drone maker that developed the Tryzub combat laser, in final testing in 2026 against FPV and reconnaissance drones and Shahed-type targets.
Very low relevance · Hardware & devices · Ukraine, Undisclosed
