Directed Energy Sector
Directed Energy Sector
Albuquerque is the nucleus for directed energy in the United States, having more assets that are considered essential to the industry than any other city.
Key Asset
TRIFECTA OF SUSTAINED FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PRESENCE FOCUSED ON DIRECTED ENERGY R&D
- Air Force Research Laboratory New Mexico’s Directed Energy Directorate
- Directed Energy Joint Transition Office
- Directed Energy Professional Society
Key Asset
GEOGRAPHY & CLIMATE THAT PROVIDE CERTAINTY OF OPERATIONS & AN IDEAL TESTING ENVIRONMENT
- Vast swaths of sparsely populated areas, with few trees
- Sunny and arid, with high altitude
- Low risk for natural disasters
Key Asset
A ROBUST PRIVATE SECTOR ECOSYSTEM
Companies include SAIC, Ball Aerospace & Technologies, BAE Systems, Aegis, Booz Allen Hamilton, Verus Research, General Atomics, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, Applied Technology Associates, and more.
Key Asset
NATIONALLY-RENOWNED PARTNERING OPPORTUNITIES & TESTING FACILITIES
Sandia and Los Alamo national labs, University of New Mexico, and White Sands Missile Range to the south of the city.
ABQ Directed Energy Factoids
Albuquerque is poised to answer the U.S. military’s demand for mass production of combat-ready directed energy hardware.
Local companies are making significant investments to expand or upgrade their Albuquerque facilities in preparation for the anticipated surge/demand in directed energy manufacturing.
Directed energy business opportunities are expanding in Albuquerque due to increased military funding and directed energy manufacturing demand.
The U.S. military doubled its spending nationwide from FY17 to FY19 – the preponderance of those dollars invested in Albuquerque.
Albuquerque was instrumental in the development of one of the nation’s most visible directed energy defense systems to date – the $15 million THOR (Tactical High-power Microwave Operational Responder) system, unveiled at the Air Force Research Lab New Mexico in 2019.
THOR was developed via the collaboration, high-level talent, and production capabilities of three companies with local presence: global BAE Systems, and local startups Leidos and Verus Research.
