Long before consumers see laser charging in their homes, defense organizations are turning beams into logistics tools. For militaries, wireless power is not just convenient; it is a way to cut fuel convoys, sustain autonomous systems and project energy safely into contested zones.

Fuel Lines as Vulnerabilities

Modern militaries run on electricity as much as fuel. Radar stations, command posts, satellite uplinks, drone fleets and emerging electric ground vehicles all need reliable power. Yet in many conflicts, fuel convoys are among the most vulnerable assets on the field, presenting predictable targets and difficult protection problems.

Laser wireless power transfer offers an intriguing alternative: keep large generators, batteries or renewable farms in relatively secure areas, then beam power forward to mobile units, sensor outposts and unmanned systems through narrow, hard-to-detect optical links. DARPA’s POWER program is explicit about this goal, describing a path to battlefield energy webs that span 120 miles and deliver multiple kilowatts to drones and remote bases without traditional fuel logistics. NextBigFuture.com

The 800-watt, 5.3-mile demonstration at White Sands was designed in part to derisk this concept, proving that meaningful power can reach tactically relevant distances in realistic atmospheric conditions. DARPA+2Switchgear Magazine

Persistent Drones and Autonomous Systems

Unmanned systems are another natural beneficiary. Today, many small drones are limited more by battery endurance than by airframe or payload constraints. Laser power beaming flips that equation, at least for missions within line-of-sight of a transmitter or relay.

Defense researchers have already demonstrated drones that loiter for hours by sipping power from laser beams, with onboard receivers converting light to electricity mid-flight. As conversion efficiencies rise and beam targeting becomes more robust, fleets of persistent surveillance drones, communications relays or loitering munitions could operate as long as the beam stays on.

The same logic applies to ground robots. Unmanned ground vehicles tasked with route clearance, logistics resupply or perimeter security could receive power from optical towers or airborne relays, minimizing the need to bring them back to base for charging and allowing them to roam in minefields or contested streets without cable tethers.

Ruggedization, Reliability, and Fog of War

Of course, battlefield conditions are unforgiving. Dust, fog, smoke, and rain can all scatter or absorb light, reducing range and efficiency. Laser WPT systems for defense must be ruggedized for extreme temperatures, vibration, and electromagnetic interference, while also integrating seamlessly with command-and-control networks.

Adaptive beam control and relay routing help mitigate these risks. AI can dynamically shift power paths around local weather cells, adjust beam parameters when smoke or dust rises, or fall back to microwave WPT or wired feeds when optical links degrade. Mixed-mode energy networks that combine laser, RF, and traditional cabling are likely to be the norm rather than purely optical architectures.

Security is another dimension. Power beams must be encrypted and authenticated, just like data links, to ensure that adversaries cannot spoof receivers or siphon power. Narrow optical beams are inherently more difficult to intercept than RF signals, but they are not immune to jamming or decoys if the targeting logic is compromised.

Ethics, Escalation, and Dual-Use Dilemmas

Any technology that can move kilowatts of energy over long distances inevitably raises questions about weaponization. The same beams that power drones could, in theory, damage sensors, blind cameras, or even overheat targets if misused.

Existing laser weapons research is already exploring directed-energy systems for missile defense and anti-drone operations. Laser WPT developers therefore face strong incentives to architect systems that are clearly distinguishable from weapons—through wavelength choices, beam divergence, safety interlocks, and operational doctrine.

At the same time, defense investment is accelerating capabilities that will spill into civilian sectors. Just as GPS, the internet, and drones began as military technologies before “civilianizing,” laser power beaming’s early home on the battlefield is likely to catalyze the sensors, AI, and safety frameworks that later enable benign applications in disaster response and remote infrastructure.

Closing Thoughts and Looking Forward

Defense agencies are rarely the final market for new infrastructure technologies, but they often provide the crucible in which those technologies prove themselves. Laser light WPT is no exception. The harsh constraints of the battlefield—distance, mobility, contested environments, high stakes—are forcing the technology to mature quickly and robustly.

Over the next few years, the same optical relays and receivers that keep drones and outposts powered may find their way into civilian disaster relief kits, remote scientific stations and off-grid communities. The key question is whether governance, export controls and international norms can keep pace, ensuring that the energy web emerging from military labs remains a tool of resilience rather than escalation.

Reference sites

DARPA Program Sets Distance Record for Power Beaming – U.S. Department of Defense (HDIAC) – https://hdiac.dtic.mil/articles/darpa-program-sets-distance-record-for-power-beaming/

DARPA Triples Wireless Power Beaming to 800 Watts for 5 Miles – Nextbigfuture – https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2025/08/darpa-triples-wireless-power-beaming-to-800-watts-for-5-miles-but-2028-goals-are-5000-watts-for-120-miles.html

DARPA Sets New Records for Sending Power Wirelessly – Switchgear Magazine – https://switchgear-magazine.com/tm-news/technology/darpa-sets-new-records-for-sending-power-wirelessly/

Advancements in Laser and LED-Based Optical Wireless Power Transfer for IoT – Delft University of Technology (conference paper PDF) – https://bioelectronics.tudelft.nl/~wout/documents/IoT2025_Ahmadi_Serdijn.pdf

Wireless Power Transfer: A Comprehensive Review – Engineering Reports (Wiley) – https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eng2.12951

Author and Co-Editor:
Benoit Lafrance, – Wireless Power Transfer Technologies, Montreal, Quebec;
Peter Jonathan Wilcheck, Co-Editor, Miami, Florida.

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