Applied Energetics to show counter-drone laser at Tucson Air Force expo

Applied Energetics will exhibit its PLAID ultrashort pulse laser system at the 2026 Air Force Innovation Expo in Tucson on Oct. 26-27. The event puts the company in front of Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve operators as it pushes a non-kinetic counter-UAS technology that recently won STRATFI backing.

Why it matters: - Applied Energetics is using the Tucson expo to showcase a counter-drone system aimed at small unmanned aircraft that threaten military flight lines and other defended sites. - The exhibit comes as the company looks to translate a recent Air Force-backed funding award into operator interest and potential adoption. - The timing matters because the audience includes Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel who help define future readiness and modernization needs.

What happened: - Applied Energetics said it will exhibit at the 2026 Air Force Innovation Expo on Oct. 26-27 at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona. - The company will be at Booth #712. - The expo is co-located with the 2026 Air Reserve Component Weapons and Tactics Conference, also known as ARC WEPTAC/DCP. - Applied Energetics said the show will give it direct access to tacticians, operators and senior leaders from the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve.

The details: - The company plans to feature PLAID™, its ultrashort pulse laser system for countering Group 1 and Group 2 unmanned aerial systems. - PLAID uses picosecond-duration laser pulses to defeat the electro-optical sensors that small drones use to navigate, find targets and transmit imagery. - Applied Energetics said it has demonstrated electro-optical sensor defeat against Group 1 and Group 2 drones. - The company positions PLAID as a high-volume effector inside a layered counter-UAS architecture that can work alongside sensors, command-and-control software, and kinetic and continuous-wave laser systems. - The company’s participation follows an AFWERX Strategic Funding Increase award sponsored by the Air National Guard, announced in August 2026. - Chris Donaghey, Applied Energetics president and CEO, said the company wants to show the capability to the operators who would use it and hear where mission gaps remain. - Donaghey also said the event is especially meaningful because it is in Tucson, the company’s hometown, and near the Guard and Reserve community that sponsored the STRATFI award. - Attendees, media and investors can visit Booth #712, and meetings can be scheduled by emailing sales@appliedenergetics.com. - The expo’s exhibit hall hours are Monday, Oct. 26, from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. MST. - More information is available at the event website.

Between the lines: - The expo is more than a trade-show appearance; it gives Applied Energetics a chance to put a directed-energy counter-UAS concept in front of the military buyers and operators most likely to influence fielding decisions. - The company is framing PLAID as a sensor-kill option rather than a missile or beam-dwell solution, which could appeal to users looking for lower-cost responses to drone swarms and repeated incursions. - Applied Energetics is also trying to align its technology pitch with the Air Force's broader focus on layered defense and modernization.

What's next: - Applied Energetics will use the Oct. 26-27 event to court operator feedback and potential partners. - The company is likely to keep leaning on its STRATFI award and Air Force-facing demonstrations as it pursues defense integration and commercialization. - The next milestone is how the Guard and Reserve audience responds to PLAID’s operational fit and scaling potential.

The bottom line: - Applied Energetics is betting that a live demo in front of Air Force users will help move PLAID from concept and testing toward operational relevance.