McLEAN, Va., (March 24, 2025) — HII (NYSE: HII) announced today that its Mission Technologies division was selected to develop an open architecture High-Energy Laser (HEL) weapon system for the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO).

HII will develop and test a HEL prototype to acquire, track and destroy Groups 1-3 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) used in multi-domain operations. The system will be capable of fixed-site defense and/or integration onto Army vehicles.

“We are proud to provide a critical enabler for the Army, delivering an effective, interoperable, sustainable and scalable system that will meet force protection requirements and support U.S. strategic objectives,” said Grant Hagen, president of Mission Technologies’ Warfare Systems group. “We look forward to collaborating with the RCCTO on this important effort that will protect the warfighter with an affordable counter-UAS solution.”

In addition to a HEL prototype system, HII will provide the data needed to compete subsystems and key components. Aligned to the system’s Modular Open Systems Approach architecture, this data directly supports Army’s objectives for interoperability, affordability, scalability, supply chain resilience and rapid innovation. The weapon system will allow the Army to interchange subsystems and software as the weapon evolves to meet national security demands.

The RCCTO awarded this Other Transaction agreement with the ultimate goal of transitioning to the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space. As part of this process, HII’s prototype HEL will undergo field testing to evaluate its safety and operational suitability. Upon successful demonstration, the system is expected to transition into low-rate initial production.

About HII

HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. HII’s mission is to deliver the world’s most powerful ships and all-domain solutions in service of the nation, creating the advantage for our customers to protect peace and freedom around the world.

As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 44,000 strong. For more information, visit