Directed Energy Counter Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (DEcUAS)
OPPORTUNITY OVERVIEW:
COMING SOON NOTICE – Posted 18 August 2026
The Joint Directed Energy Consortium (JDEC), supporting the Office of the Under Secretary of War (OUSW) Research and Engineering (R&E) Critical Technologies (CT) Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE) Office, is preparing to release a commercial opportunity for Directed Energy (DE) prototype systems to counter Uncrewed Aircraft System (cUAS) threats. This effort seeks innovative approaches to develop multi-domain, adaptable, scalable, and energy-efficient systems utilizing modular architectures to defeat UAS threats.
Key Focus Areas
Solutions will be categorized and evaluated under three main prototype pillars, alongside critical subsystem and software integration enablers:
- High-Energy Laser (HEL) Prototypes: Robust Continuous Wave (CW) Laser systems in the average power of 1 kW to 70 kW class. Pulsed Laser systems will also be considered.
- High-Power Microwave (HPM) Prototypes: High-gain, full sky dome, fast-steering beam with effective km ranges or greater.
- Directed Energy Airborne Prototypes: Modular, lightweight airborne DE systems—either podded or integrated directly into airframes.
This effort will support advancement of directed energy defense and force protection capabilities through development of adaptable, scalable, and energy-efficient DEcUAS prototype systems and key partial solutions. The period of performance for resulting Other Transaction Authority (OTA) awards will be finalized following release of the Request for Solutions (RFS) and based on the proposed technical approach and performer timelines.
To view the full Coming Soon notice, please fill out the key document request form on the right side of the page.
