The Department of Directed Energy and Non-Kinetic Weapons at Genesys Defense and Technologies represents a foundational shift in the way military force is conceptualized, delivered, and sustained in the 21st century. Whereas traditional military power has long depended on kinetic energy—projectiles, explosives, and mechanical force—our department explores, develops, and operationalizes systems that use energy itself as a direct and precise tool of warfare. This includes lasers, microwave weapons, high-powered radio frequency systems, particle beams, and other emerging modalities that offer non-traditional means to neutralize, disable, or disrupt enemy assets and infrastructure. Our mission is to harness the raw force of physics—light, heat, electromagnetic radiation, and plasma dynamics—to build a new generation of weapons that operate at the speed of light, offer scalable effects, and provide militaries with clean, cost-effective, and asymmetric options for deterrence and engagement.

The emergence of directed energy (DE) and non-kinetic weapon systems is not a theoretical development; it is an operational necessity in response to the increasingly complex and congested battle environments of modern warfare. Conventional munitions, no matter how advanced, are limited by range, reload cycles, cost per shot, and logistics. By contrast, DE systems can fire continuously, at near-zero marginal cost per engagement, and with pinpoint accuracy that minimizes collateral damage. These attributes are not merely convenient—they are transformative in an era characterized by swarm drone attacks, hypersonic threats, stealth platforms, and distributed denial-of-service warfare. Our department leads the effort to integrate directed energy into tactical and strategic arsenals in ways that fundamentally redefine the timeline, ethics, and calculus of armed conflict.

At the core of our work are high-energy laser (HEL) systems—devices that generate focused beams of coherent light capable of transferring lethal or non-lethal energy onto a target. Unlike missiles or bullets, laser beams travel at light speed, encounter no ballistic drop, and can be redirected with precision optics almost instantaneously. Our research focuses on developing HEL platforms with variable power outputs, allowing them to perform a wide range of mission types, from dazzling enemy optics to burning through drone fuselages, to disabling vehicle engines or detonating incoming munitions mid-flight. We have developed fiber-based and solid-state laser architectures capable of operating in mobile, airborne, and shipborne configurations, and our work includes thermal management systems, beam control algorithms, adaptive optics, and atmospheric compensation technologies that allow these systems to function in real-world combat conditions.

High-powered microwave (HPM) weapons constitute another crucial focus area. These systems emit bursts of electromagnetic radiation in the microwave spectrum, which can overload, disrupt, or permanently damage electronic components in adversary systems. Unlike lasers, which affect physical surfaces, HPM weapons target the internals of electronic devices, making them ideal for neutralizing communication nodes, radar arrays, drone swarms, missile guidance systems, and even small-scale data centers. Our department is actively developing compact HPM modules that can be mounted on ground vehicles, UAVs, or fixed installations. These devices are equipped with directional antennas, power gating modules, and pulse shaping circuits that allow operators to control the width, duration, and amplitude of electromagnetic bursts. Our teams are also researching counter-HPM shielding, enabling friendly systems to operate safely within contested electromagnetic environments.

The operational flexibility of non-kinetic systems extends to non-lethal and infrastructure-targeted applications as well. We have designed electromagnetic weapons capable of selectively disabling power grids, communication backbones, and control systems without inflicting physical destruction on surrounding structures or endangering civilian populations. These capabilities are vital in scenarios requiring escalation control, covert action, or disabling adversarial capabilities during peacekeeping missions. Our department’s research into spectrum-tuned RF emissions has resulted in platforms capable of inducing interference within very specific frequency bands, enabling us to blind enemy radar, jam radio transmissions, or disable GPS navigation without causing wideband chaos or compromising friendly systems.

Beyond discrete systems, we are pioneering the development of multi-mode, modular energy weapon platforms that combine laser and microwave components into a single operational unit. These hybrid systems allow commanders to tailor the method of engagement in real-time, switching between or simultaneously deploying different forms of energy based on target type, engagement range, and rules of engagement. Integration with AI-based targeting algorithms enables the weapon to automatically assess which mode—kinetic, thermal, or electromagnetic—is most likely to achieve mission success with minimal risk and cost. These platforms are currently being tested aboard autonomous ground vehicles and next-generation destroyer vessels, offering mobile directed energy capacity across land and sea domains.

One of the most ambitious lines of research within our department concerns the potential of particle beam weapons—systems that accelerate and direct subatomic particles at high velocities toward a target. While still in an experimental phase, these systems offer theoretical capabilities for deep penetration, electronic disruption, and even biochemical alteration at the microscopic level. We are investing in compact accelerator technologies, beam focusing magnets, and plasma generation chambers necessary to miniaturize what was once a lab-bound concept into a viable field-deployable system. In conjunction with our partners in the Department of Quantum & Emerging Technologies, we are exploring how high-energy particle systems could one day offer surgical-strike precision against underground bunkers, satellite electronics, and even adversarial personnel without the use of explosive ordinance.

Non-kinetic technologies also provide new avenues for countermeasure development, and our department maintains a dedicated research team focused on “defensive directed energy”—systems designed not to attack, but to shield, obscure, or deflect incoming threats. We are developing high-frequency jamming platforms that can confuse incoming missile seekers, as well as optical obscuration systems using coherent light scattering to create “visual fog” for enemy targeting systems. Thermal signature disruptors and EM deception suites round out our non-kinetic defensive toolkits, enabling friendly platforms to survive longer and operate deeper in contested zones.

A major milestone for the department was the successful demonstration of Project ARCSTRIKE, a modular HEL/HPM hybrid turret mounted on an unmanned ground vehicle. During testing, ARCSTRIKE neutralized a formation of ten coordinated autonomous drones in under thirty seconds without a single kinetic round. This milestone not only validated the concept of mobile directed energy but showcased the potential for these systems to operate autonomously with AI-based threat detection, classification, and prioritization. Project ARCSTRIKE is now undergoing field trials in multiple climate zones, from desert to arctic conditions, to validate reliability across diverse operational theaters.

Equally significant is Operation SILENTSABER, an HPM-based electronic suppression system designed for tactical aircraft. Deployed as an underwing pod, SILENTSABER emits tailored microwave pulses to disable ground radar installations, communication relays, and missile command links. Unlike conventional electronic warfare jammers, SILENTSABER operates with directional beamforming and cognitive frequency adaptation, allowing it to neutralize threats while maintaining operational secrecy and reducing the risk of counter-jamming. SILENTSABER units have undergone classified trials and are being adapted for integration into both crewed and uncrewed stealth aircraft.

The Department of Directed Energy and Non-Kinetic Weapons is staffed by an elite cadre of physicists, optical engineers, thermodynamicists, electronic warfare specialists, and former operators who bring deep domain knowledge of combat requirements. Our facilities include high-energy optics labs, cryogenically cooled test bays, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing centers, and a dedicated DE Test Range where full-power trials are conducted under controlled, classified conditions. We also maintain cyber-linked simulation environments for testing energy weapon behavior under diverse battlefield conditions, from urban density to maritime clutter.

We operate in close collaboration with the Department of Sensor Fusion and ISR Technologies to integrate DE platforms with advanced targeting systems; with the Department of Ground Combat Systems to mount our systems on mobile units; and with the Department of Multi-Domain Integration to ensure our weapons can be cued and coordinated across land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains. These relationships ensure that directed energy is not just a standalone capability, but part of a seamless ecosystem of warfighting tools.

Ethics and strategic doctrine are integral to our development processes. Directed energy weapons present unique challenges in attribution, escalation management, and long-term environmental impact. We maintain constant dialogue with the Department of Defense Policy, Ethics, and Compliance to ensure our systems adhere to international laws of armed conflict and reflect responsible innovation. We also participate in allied DE standardization bodies to help define protocols for interoperability, deconfliction, and safety.

Our future roadmap includes airborne DE platforms capable of engaging hypersonic threats in the upper atmosphere, orbital microwave systems for persistent denial operations from space, and AI-governed directed energy defense grids that automatically adapt to emerging threats. By 2035, we intend to field multi-domain, autonomous DE units capable of performing integrated kill chains with minimal human oversight, transforming how force is projected and preserved across all theaters of operation.

The Department of Directed Energy and Non-Kinetic Weapons is not merely creating new weapons; it is redefining the physics of conflict. Through the marriage of high-end science, combat realism, and ethical responsibility, we are building systems that will make wars shorter, victories cleaner, and deterrence stronger. In an age when every watt of power may matter more than every pound of steel, we lead the way toward a future where energy itself is the most formidable weapon of all.