US Navy expands SONGBOW program with $17.1 million laser tech award to Attalon

The Office of Naval Research has awarded Attalon a $17.1 million contract modification under the SONGBOW program to advance pulsed fiber lasers and high-power directed energy subsystems. The initiative accelerates the transition of next-generation laser beam control and remote sensing technologies toward operational deployment for defense applications.

The Office of Naval Research has awarded a $17.1 million contract modification to defense developer Attalon to propel the maturation of high-power laser infrastructure under the SONGBOW initiative. Operating through its Directed Energy & Advanced Lasers specialized division in Beavercreek, Ohio, Attalon will drive the development of advanced pulsed fiber lasers engineered for remote sensing, target illumination, and electro-optical sensing. As part of the technical scope, the company is tasked with maturing a 400-kilowatt-class directed energy subsystem through the seamless integration of a 50-kilowatt laser with a high-performance beam control assembly. Attalon specializes in advanced laser architectures, precision optical systems, and integrated directed energy technologies for government and military programs. The Office of Naval Research functions as the executive agency within the United States Department of the Navy responsible for managing science and technology programs to maintain naval capability.

This contractual expansion signifies a crucial phase in shifting high-energy directed energy capabilities out of pure research and development frameworks and toward operational deployment within defense fleets. Fiber laser technology offers significant advantages in power efficiency, thermal management, and beam quality over traditional laser designs. By integrating state-of-the-art beam control with high-efficiency laser source modules, the program resolves longstanding hurdles related to atmospheric attenuation, target tracking precision, and energy density retention at extended distances, establishing essential technical foundations for combat-ready directed energy systems.

The progression of the SONGBOW initiative highlights a broader tactical shift in military doctrine toward speed-of-light engagements and deep-magazine defense architecture. Military leadership is prioritizing cost-effective countermeasures to neutralize swarm drones, loitering munitions, and incoming missile threats without depleting limited inventories of costly kinetic interceptors. Consequently, government acquisition strategies are heavily favoring industrial partners capable of delivering modular, scalable optical systems that can be integrated onto multi-domain military platforms.

For defense industrial base participants and commercial optics suppliers, sustained defense spending on directed energy subsystems creates durable growth opportunities across advanced photonics, beam shaping, high-reflectivity optics, and high-power thermal control sectors. As naval platforms prepare for future directed energy deployment, companies providing sub-component manufacturing and system-level integration are well-positioned to secure long-term defense subcontracts and technology integration partnerships.