Washington, Oct. 6 -- The United States Department of War has chosen four high-energy laser and high-powered microwave weapon systems for operational evaluation, marking a significant step as Washington seeks to broaden its capabilities in countering growing unmanned aerial vehicle threats targeting the homeland.

These platforms will undergo assessment through a directed-energy pilot initiative managed by Joint Interagency Task Force 401, the military command tasked with coordinating strategies against small unmanned aircraft systems.

The chosen platforms comprise AeroVironment's Palletised High-Energy Laser, Epirus' Leonidas High-Powered Microwave system, Kord's Firefly High-Energy Laser, alongside Boeing's Compact Laser Weapon System....