Directed energy weapons (DEWs), including high energy lasers (HELs) and high-power microwaves (HPMs), have emerged as potentially transformative weapons on the modern battlefield. Recent advancements have made DEWs more viable than ever, with many systems possessing the power and range necessary to engage a wide variety of threats, more affordably than current systems. Recent conflicts in the Middle East and Europe have highlighted the importance of munitions capacity as well as the need to both efficiently and effectively counter different kinetic threats. The ability of some DEW systems to engage many targets at once with an “unlimited” magazine could yield enormous economic and tactical benefits.

In January 2024, the National Defense Industrial Association’s Emerging Technologies Institute (ETI) released its latest report, “Directed Energy Weapons: Securing the Path to the Future,” which assessed the supply chains for both high-energy lasers and high-powered microwaves. The report examines four aspects of the supply chain: 1) Critical Raw Materials and Goods, 2) Manufacturing Base and Workforce, 3) Supply Chain Security and Vulnerabilities, and 4) International Partnerships and Allied Nearshoring. ETI will present the key findings and recommendations from this report.

Presenter

Wilson Miles Associate Research Fellow NDIA Emerging Technologies Institute (United States)

Wilson Miles is an Associate Research Fellow at ETI. Wilson's research and analysis portfolio includes analyzing the hypersonics and directed energy technology supply chains, the Joint Warfighting Concept, and other modernization technology policy issues. Wilson previously held internships at CRDF Global, the Hudson Institute, and the National Defense University. He received his Master of Arts in International Affairs: US Foreign Policy and National Security from American University's School of International Service and his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Linfield University.

 

Event Details

FORMAT: Oral presentation followed by audience Q&A.
MENU: Coffee and tea service available nearby.
SETUP: Stage and theater style seating.

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