Exclusive: ACS launches laser division amid counter-drone boom
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Allen Control Systems, maker of the Bullfrog autonomous turret, is opening a directed-energy division.
Why it matters: The $2.2 billion startup is diversifying, as demand skyrockets for drone countermeasures and the Pentagon doubles down on microwaves and lasers.
State of play: Amanda Clark was tapped as vice president for directed energy and John Mason was tapped as program director for high-energy laser.
- They will together lead the division. Both come from U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command in Huntsville, Alabama.
The intrigue: ACS lists in-development dazzler and 3-kilowatt laser variants of its Bullfrog online, alongside the already available M240 (using 7.62 mm) and M2 (using .50 cal) versions.
What they're saying: "The defense industry has invested heavily in directed energy, but generating a powerful beam is only part of the challenge," CEO Joe Bingold told Axios in a statement.
- "You still have to find a fast-moving threat, stay on target and engage it with precision."
Zoom out: Laser weapons are guarding — or will be guarding — everything from Cape Canaveral to Mar-a-Lago to nuclear-materials convoys.
- An Emerging Technologies Institute study published in 2024 logged more than two dozen directed-energy projects underway across the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.
Flashback: ACS in September announced a manufacturing expansion in Austin, Texas, and plans for an engineering hub in Silicon Valley.
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