美國軍方歷經五十多年的雷射武器研發後，陸軍即將與AeroVironment公司簽署一份價值數億美元的合約，採購名為「持久高能雷射」（E-HEL）的武器系統。這將是美軍首次正式將雷射武器大規模列裝部隊，用於保護全球各地基地免受無人機攻擊。該系統將成為五角大樓五年預算中的正式「記錄計畫」，標誌著雷射武器從實驗階段邁向實戰部署的歷史性轉折。（關鍵數字：20）
廉價攻擊無人機在伊朗和烏克蘭戰爭中的大量使用，凸顯了傳統防禦手段的不足。美軍曾以四百萬美元的愛國者飛彈攔截僅值三萬五千美元的伊朗無人機，既浪費資金又消耗攔截彈藥庫存。雷射武器的優勢在於「彈藥」無限——只要有電力供應就能持續射擊，且單次發射成本極低。然而，部署過程中也出現過意外事故，包括誤擊派對氣球和邊境巡邏無人機等事件。（關鍵數字：4, 35,000）
在技術層面，光纖雷射成為軍用雷射的主流方案，利用摻入稀土離子的玻璃光纖束，實現更高效的能量吸收與散熱，並產生精確聚焦的光束。半導體二極體泵浦、機器視覺鎖定目標以及自適應光學系統的進步，使雷射武器日趨成熟。但雷射仍有局限：雨霧會阻斷光束，每次只能瞄準單一目標且需數秒照射，面對大規模無人機蜂群攻擊無法獨力應對，且高能光束可能對飛機甚至衛星構成附帶風險。
After over fifty years of failed attempts at developing laser weapons, the U.S. Army is on the verge of signing a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars with AeroVironment for the Enduring High Energy Laser (E-HEL) system. This will mark the first time the American military formally commits to deploying laser weapons at scale, making E-HEL an official "program of record" inscribed in the Pentagon's five-year budget. Up to 20 units are planned, compact enough to fit in a small container or atop an all-terrain vehicle, and designed to protect military bases worldwide from drone threats.
The proliferation of cheap, mass-produced attack drones in conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine has exposed the inadequacy of conventional defenses. The U.S. resorted to firing $4 million Patriot missiles at $35,000 Iranian drones, draining both funds and interceptor stockpiles. Laser weapons offer a compelling alternative: virtually unlimited ammunition as long as electrical power is available, at a fraction of the cost per shot. Despite some embarrassing incidents during testing—including accidentally destroying a party balloon near El Paso and shooting down a friendly Border Patrol drone—the technology has demonstrated its ability to neutralize real aerial targets.
The key technological breakthrough enabling these weapons is fiber laser technology, which uses bundles of rare-earth-ion-infused glass fibers to generate efficient, well-focused beams. Advances in semiconductor diode pumping, machine vision for target tracking, and adaptive optics for atmospheric compensation have collectively brought laser weapons from the laboratory to the battlefield. Nevertheless, significant limitations persist: lasers are ineffective in rain and fog, can only engage one target at a time for several seconds each, and powerful beams pose risks to aircraft and even satellites. Experts emphasize that lasers should complement rather than replace traditional munitions, serving as a cost-effective layer in a broader, integrated defense system against low-cost drone swarms.