Executive Summary High-energy laser (HEL) weapon systems remain predominantly in prototype and limited field-testing phases across U.S. Department of Defense, NATO, and allied defense industrial bases, with atmospheric propagation effects, thermal management constraints, and acquisition transition gaps constituting primary barriers to routine operational deployment Department of Defense Directed Energy Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress … Leggi tutto Why Atmospheric Propagation Physics and SWaP Constraints Prevent Daily Operational Deployment of High-Energy Laser Weapon Systems Despite $1.1 Billion Annual U.S. Defense Investment