In a press release entitled “Bad News for the Bad Guys,” the Office of Naval Research (ONR) said it had awarded contracts for the design of a lightweight surface-to-air laser missile which would protect troops from drone attack.

The Ground-Based Air Defence Directed Energy On-the-Move program, known as GBAD, would be mounted on Marines’ Humvees and light tactical ground vehicles.

Similar to the US navy’s ship-mounted laser weapon which is due to deploy later this summer, the GBAD “aims to provide an affordable alternative to traditional firepower to keep enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from tracking and targeting Marines on the ground”.