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DOD uses rapid acquisition to field production-ready laser weapons | InsideDefense.com

The U.S. Department of Defense awarded $86 million in rapid acquisition contracts to nLIGHT Defense and Lockheed Martin Aculight to develop production-ready directed-energy laser weapon systems, with a program ceiling of $847 million. The Pentagon is using Other Transaction Authority to bypass traditional procurement timelines and accelerate fielding of scalable, cost-effective laser capabilities for air defense.

This Wire brief sits within Fusion42's coverage of Defense Tech and Photonics & Optics. Wire is Fusion42's founder-focused intelligence feed: each story is connected to the funds and startups it names — every one with a live profile on Raise or Scout — so founders can follow the capital and the momentum behind the headline rather than just the headline itself. Wire analysis is one of the live surfaces Arthur, Fusion42's AI co-founder, reasons over.

The Wire takeaway

Pentagon's shift to rapid acquisition and production-scale demand for laser weapons creates clear RFQ pipeline and procurement signals for deeptech suppliers; Other Transaction Authority frameworks offer alternative contracting pathways with compressed timelines.

Read the full story at insidedefense.com

Topics: Defense Tech · Photonics & Optics · laser-weapons · dod-acquisition · rapid-prototyping · directed-energy · defense-tech · production-scale

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Verified 10 July 2026 · Sources: Fusion42 review