Arizona Tribune - Applied Energetics Achieves First Multi-Drone Camera Defeat with Pulsed Laser Air Defense System

During the demonstration conducted on August 20, 2025, the system neutralized four separate drones in just four seconds, marking the first multi-drone "camera kills" in AE's development program. Test imagery (see below) shows the live feed disruption and sensor defeat effects achieved in real time.

"This demonstration highlights the disruptive potential of our ultrashort pulse laser (USPL) systems for counter-UAS missions," said Chris Donaghey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Applied Energetics. "Neutralizing four drones in four seconds is an extraordinary step forward in proving the real-world effects of our pulsed-laser platform. Our team continues to push the boundaries of what's possible, translating lab-scale breakthroughs into decisive operational capabilities. Our vision, 'Direct Energy Anywhere,' is embodied in this early prototype and milestone, advancing our mission to deliver decisive effects at tactically relevant ranges, all within an optimized size, weight, and power profile that enables integration and deployment across any platform or battlefield environment."

"These multi-target results validate the physics we are scaling in the lab and the ability of USPL effects to rapidly and precisely disrupt sensors," said Dr. Stephen McCahon, Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of Applied Energetics. "As we expand to more complex scenarios and longer ranges, we're focused on refining beam control, gimbal performance, and shot-to-shot repeatability to deliver reliable, fieldable capabilities."

This achievement builds on AE's recent technical progress, including surpassing the 1 billion watt peak power threshold with its USPL system in July 2025. Together, these advancements underscore the scalability of AE's proprietary architecture and its potential to deliver precise, rapid, and scalable effects against drones, missiles, and sensor payloads in the modern battlespace.

About Applied Energetics, Inc.

Applied Energetics, Inc. specializes in optical fiber-based ultrashort pulse (USP) laser technologies for countering drones, ISR sensors, hypersonic weapons, and other applications.

With 26 patents and 6 patents pending, Applied Energetics' proprietary architecture enables orders of magnitude size-weight-power reductions, a key differentiator when compared with traditional continuous wave (CW) laser technology with larger footprints. AE's powerful, dual-use systems are designed for integration and deployment on numerous potential defense platforms for the delivery of high intensity, ultrashort pulses of light to disable or destroy a target. These technologies have applications in both national security and commercial markets. ​ Today, AE's USP optical technologies are being designed to offer flexibility and power for complex missions in national security such as enhancing layered defense strategies to counter complex threats.

For more information about Applied Energetics and its innovative technologies, please visit www.appliedenergetics.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to the historical or current facts and can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may," "believe," "will," "expect," "project," "anticipate," "estimates," "plans," "strategy," "target," "prospects," or "continue," and words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of our management and are subject to a number of uncertainties and risks that could significantly affect our current plans and expectations, as well as future results of operations and financial condition and may cause our actual results, performances or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. We do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions, or changes in other factors affecting such forward-looking statements.

Applied Energetics, Inc. Investor information contact:

Kevin McGrath, Managing Director
Cameron Associates, Inc.
[email protected]
T: 646-418-7002

Images from the Battle Lab test (provided by Applied Energetics):

Figure 1. Live imagery from four FPV drone cameras, pre-laser shot

Figure 2: Post-laser shot camera feeds showing destroyed camera sensing capabilities

SOURCE: Applied Energetics, Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

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