nLIGHT, Inc. (Nasdaq: LASR), a provider of high-power laser systems for mission-critical applications, has introduced HADES, a new portfolio of high-energy laser (HEL) products designed for directed energy weapon systems across land, sea, air, and space domains.
The launch marks a significant expansion of nLIGHT’s defense-focused technology platform, bringing together scalable laser effectors intended for modern battlefield environments. The company said HADES is designed to support a range of mission profiles, from counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) to counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) operations, as well as advanced air and missile defense scenarios.
Built on nLIGHT’s vertically integrated manufacturing model, HADES combines semiconductor laser diodes, fiber amplification, beam combination, and atmospheric correction technologies. The company said this architecture enables high optical efficiency, improved beam quality, and field-ready reliability in ruggedized configurations suitable for integration into military platforms.
Scott Keeney, President and Chief Executive Officer of nLIGHT, said the system reflects more than two decades of development in laser power scaling and system integration.
“HADES builds on more than 25 years of innovation in laser power scaling, system integration, and high reliability manufacturing,” Keeney said. “By unifying our directed energy offerings into a single scalable family, HADES delivers production-ready laser weapon solutions with advanced beam control and atmospheric correction, enabling precise energy delivery at range.”
The initial system in the portfolio is a 70kW-class high-energy laser effector, available for deployment. According to the company, it delivers enhanced engagement capability for C-UAS and C-RAM missions, with improved lethality and range performance through coherently combined beam technology.
HADES is designed as a modular and scalable architecture. It allows power levels to be adjusted from tens of kilowatts for tactical applications to hundreds of kilowatts for advanced threat engagement. The company said this scalability is intended to align with evolving mission requirements and layered defense strategies.
Key system attributes include speed-of-light engagement, low cost per shot compared to traditional kinetic interceptors, integrated tracking and atmospheric correction, and compatibility with existing sensor and battle management systems. The design also emphasizes manufacturability to support future production scale-up.
Rob Martinsen, Chief Technology Officer at nLIGHT, said directed energy is becoming increasingly central to modern defense planning.
“As threats continue to evolve, directed energy is becoming a foundational element of modern layered defense strategy,” Martinsen said. “HADES provides a scalable roadmap for near-term deployment and future high-power systems, supported by our established manufacturing and delivery capabilities.”
The company noted that HADES builds on prior directed energy programs executed for U.S. and allied defense customers, including vehicle-mounted and fixed-site systems. It also aligns with ongoing efforts to advance laser power scaling into the multi-hundred-kilowatt and megawatt range.
Headquartered in Camas, Washington, nLIGHT operates globally with more than 800 employees across the United States, Europe, and Asia.
