DE Systems Symposium 2025 Presenter

Contributions are being solicited for papers, presentations, and posters that support a system level view of Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) at all distribution levels. Presentations (oral or poster) and papers that provide a mission level perspective of DEW, helping to provide context to the warfighters, are sought as well. Papers and presentations from a DEW sub-system, or technology perspective which are focused on transition to operational capability will also be considered. Please contact devona@deps.org for any questions.

Select the checkbox next to a topic to learn more.
High Energy Laser (HEL) Systems

High Energy Laser (HEL) Systems-also referred to as Laser Directed Energy Weapons (LDEWs)-are advancing rapidly from concept to deployment, with recent demonstrations and reported operational use highlighting their strategic importance. HEL systems provide speed-of-light engagement and scalable effects across multiple domains:
Air: Missile defense, aircraft protection, and counter-UAS missions
Ground: Short-range air defense (SHORAD), counter-UAS, and counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM)
Maritime: Naval platforms countering UAVs, small boats, and progressing toward anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) defense

Papers are sought that address:
Current and planned HEL programs, including system status and upcoming tests
Platform and subsystem integration progress, issues, and risk reduction
Land, air, and sea-based HEL deployment updates
Demonstrations and testing results, including system performance and CONOPS
HEL systems ranging from 1-10 kW to 100 kW+
New and emerging HEL missions, including space and strategic applications
Integration with Command and Control (C2) networks

HEL Non-Lethal Weapons

Non-lethal HEL technologies provide reversible, scalable effects for missions requiring graduated responses and minimal collateral damage. Applications include:
Sensor Dazzling: Disrupting enemy optics or targeting systems
Electro-Optical Interference: Temporary degradation of surveillance or communications
Platform Neutralization: Non-destructive disabling of assets

Papers are requested on:
Non-lethal HEL system concepts and demonstrations
Operational scenarios for escalation control and deterrence
Integration challenges and effectiveness in joint and coalition operations
Safety, policy, and legal considerations for non-lethal HEL use

HEL Components - Lasers, Combiners, Beam Control

The foundation of HEL capability lies in its key components: high-power lasers, beam combiners, and beam control technologies. These subsystems drive performance in power scaling, beam quality, and precision engagement.Topics of interest include:
Advances in laser technology (fiber lasers, diode-pumped, solid-state systems)
Spectral and coherent beam combining techniques for power scaling
Line-of-sight stabilization, target tracking, and tilt compensation
Adaptive optics and atmospheric compensation for beam control
Thermal management, power efficiency, and size/weight optimization
Subsystem integration challenges and solutions across air, land, and maritime platforms

High Power Microwave (HPM) Programs and Systems

The HPM Programs and Systems sessions will focus on HPM Program and System status. Papers are being sought that:
Update the community on the progress of an HPM Program, including recent test and experimentation and future plans
Describe platform and subsystem integration progress, issues, and risk reduction
Provide details for land, air and sea-based HPM deployment status
Provide overviews on the development and capabilities for an HPM System
Highlight relevant DE weapon system demonstrations with emphasis on system performance, Concept of Operations (CONOPS), and integration with Command and Control (C2) networks and other sensors

HPM Systems Effects and Lethality

The HPM Effects and Lethality session seeks presentations describing:

Empirical characterization of targets for current and next generation HPM systems
Development and validation of predictive models for targets of current and next generation HPM systems
Analysis and optimization of waveforms for emerging HPM systems
Methods for field characterization of HPM systems (range setups, field sensors, bore sighting, etc.)
Collection, compilation, standardization, and dissemination of HPM effects data

DEW System Modeling and Wargaming

High Energy Laser (HEL) and High-Power Microwave (HPM) directed energy technologies represent a transformative advancement in military operations across air, land, sea, and space domains. Wargaming, modeling, simulation, and analysis of directed energy weapon systems at the engagement, mission, and campaign levels must be employed to inform novel Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), Concepts of Employment (CONEMPs), Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), weaponeering, and Command and Control (C2) capabilities. This session will focus on systems and systems-of-systems efforts using state-of-the-art modeling, virtual simulation with humans in- and on-the-loop, and live wargaming activities supporting the transition of directed energy weapons to the warfighter across all the service branches.

CDEW Technologies

The CDEW Technologies session will include classified and unclassified sessions focused on identifying, assessing, and countering threats posed by LWS, pulsed laser, and short pulse HPM (including high power microwaves) on and off the battlefield. This track presents a singular opportunity at the Symposium for defense industry representatives, military officers and operators, information analysts, academia, and government officials to enter into collaborative discussions. Conference paper submissions for the C-DEW track may address research, development, testing, or evaluation of various forms of countermeasures to threats posed by Directed Energy Weapons. Papers are being sought that address:
Shielding, absorptive, and reflective techniques, including narrow and/or broadband highly reflective materials, metamaterials, structures, or coatings
Methods and procedures for assessing or thresholding hardening technologies and countermeasures to DEW, including standards (non-destructive or destructive)
Measurement of coatings, structures, and materials

Personnel protection from DEW effects (Open or Classified) including eye protection, low power lasers (e.g. pointers) against personnel, sensory overload (auditory or nervous system), and laser safety (covering environment/health/safety (EHS) factors)
Mitigating the effects of high power LWS (cw), pulsed laser, or short pulse HPM on targeting functionality and systems
Electronics hardening (devices, components, or subsystems)
Detection, identification, assessment, and geolocation of DEW threats and weapons (Open or Classified, Foreign and Domestic)
C-DEW system or subsystem concepts, modifications, and technical solutions
Tactical evasion (flight path, sensing)
Software compensation, error sensing, or error correction

DEW Bio-effects

The directed energy weapon bioeffects session for this year's Systems Symposium will focus on the development of personnel risk assessment data and approaches for directed energy weapon employment. The session will address topics enabling the employment of systems, improving the understanding of collateral hazards, how risks are communicated, and answering policy-related questions. The scope of the session includes the following topics:
Parameterization of directed energy weapon bioeffects through experimentation to inform probability of injury
Computational and experimental dosimetry techniques
Approaches for quantifying risk to personnel in a context familiar to the operational community
Mapping bioeffect outcomes to mission impact, and how directed energy weapon bioeffects may map into a vulnerability assessment process, including model-based systems engineering for failure analysis
Modeling, simulation, and analysis tools (physics-level through mission-level) available for the quantification of risk and collateral effects
Radiometric models which provide predictive dosimetry to exposed personnel
The transition from deterministic occupational exposure standards to probabilistic risk assessments
Laboratory and range data for verification and validation of modeling and simulation tools
Navigating the approval processes for testing and employment
Unclassified papers and presentations are sought at Distribution A, C and D levels.

DEW System Manufacturability, Readiness and Sustainment

As prototypical DEW systems move into the hands of the warfighter out in the real world, reliability issues arise. In order to have a successful Program of Record in the future the Industrial Base needs the ability to manufacture at scale while maintaining readiness and sustainment metrics. The objective of these sessions will be to explore:
Realized reliability issues and appropriate mitigations
Industrial Base efforts to enable production at scale
The readiness drivers for DEW systems
Sustainment activities both in the field and at depot
Contributions consistent with these purposes are solicited, especially in the topic areas listed below:
Production facility studies and plans
Maximize open architecture implementation
Defining line replaceable units (LRUs)
Maximize field repairable elements
System degradation considerations during transportation and storage
Component level reliability studies

DE Systems for Non-Weapon Applications - Power Beaming, Sensing, Communications

Directed Energy can be used for more than just destructive applications! In fact, 99.9% of the time, you are not using your DE system as a weapon, so finding other applications to provide utility to the warfighter is critical in speeding adoption and increasing demand signal. This session is positioned as a forum to socialize and discuss these novel applications for DE. Talks are being solicited for any non-weapon use of DE systems, but particularly in the following areas:
Power Beaming
Communications
Active and Passive Sensing

AI for DE (Artificial Intelligence for Directed Energy)

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are emerging technologies and processes that are proving beneficial in numerous fields across defense and commercial applications. There is potential to apply these processes in support of HEL engagements. The goal of the AI and Machine Learning session(s) is to explore AI and ML as applied to the HEL engagement. Presentations and posters are solicited to increase the understanding of the DE community on the capabilities and limitations of AI and ML. Particular interest in AI and ML applied to target detection, identification, aim point selection, and engagement to include Battle Damage Assessment (BDA).

Airborne DE Systems

Laser weapons are being developed to play a critical role in 21st century warfare as a defense against rising drone warfare and large threat missile salvos. Laser weapons will complement existing defensive kinetic weapon capabilities. Rapid advancement in laser weapon maturation is underway for ground-based, vehicle-based, shipboard, and airborne integration-each platform implementation offers enhanced defensive capabilities. Lessons learned from studies, demonstrations, and experimentation have shown that airborne laser weapons provide significant performance gains, offering tactical advantages of height, moveability, and maneuverability, and the favorable beam propagation advantages of the higher altitude atmospheric conditions. This track will provide the DE community with an opportunity to present concepts, studies, technology solutions, theories, modeling and simulation, test and experimentation, and mission engineering analysis on, and related to, airborne lasers.

DE Technology for Space Applications

Contributions are being sought for DE Technology for Space Applications focus area, whose purpose is:
Introduce the Space Mission to the DE community for awareness and education.
Cross-germinating air, maritime, and ground missions with the Space mission could reveal synergistic DE technology solutions.
Many DE systems are being tested in the field. The military laser testing community follows DoDI 3100.11 (Management of Laser Illumination of Objects in Space). Understanding the importance of the policy, and when, and how the policy is enforced is of great value to the laser testing community.
Reveal how DE technology is currently being used for Space applications.

All persons wishing to present at the Directed Energy Systems Symposium are required to submit an abstract via the online abstract submission form below. Important dates for presenters are listed in the table below.

General information on the submission of abstracts, presentations, papers and release forms is provided here. Presentations and papers will be considered for acceptance at CUI C/D and Secret levels.

*Note: It is the responsibility of the lead author to obtain all approvals and releases for submitted abstracts, presentations, and papers. All submitted materials including unclassified presentations must be appropriately marked for security classification as well as identification of any distribution restrictions. Additionally, please identify the presenter (if different from the lead author) and up-to-date contact information.

All persons wishing to present at the 2025 DE Systems Symposium must submit an abstract for consideration to be received by DEPS on or before 29 September 2025.

DEPS utilizes an online abstract submission system so that we may better track abstracts and plan a successful program. Only unclassified, public release material may be entered online. Should you need to submit an abstract that is CUI in nature, please follow the instuctions below.

During the online submission process, authors may choose whether or not to display their abstract title on the DEPS website. Access to the full abstract content is limited to those abstracts for which the author has submitted a simple, online abstract release form which will be available from their MyAccount page after the abstract is submitted.

*Remember, only Unclassified, Public Release information may be entered into the DEPS database.

Authors will be notified on or before 13 October of acceptance of their paper for presentation and/or publication.

Note: While an automated email is sent confirming receipt of your abstract, some military domains may block delivery of such an email. If you do not receive email confirmation, you may check this online listing of submitted abstracts which may provide insight into the technical program. This listing is dynamically generated based on abstracts received at the time the page is displayed and author permissions (granted when submitted). If the title of your abstract, or the assigned Abstract ID, is contained in this listing, it has been received by DEPS.

Last updated: 28 August 2025