As Drone Threat Escalates, U.S. Army Selects Aurelius Systems to Test Archimedes Laser at C5ISR Experiment

The Army invites Aurelius Systems to DiDEX event, signaling laser defense as future to protect both troops and civilian infrastructure.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, September 17, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The U.S. Army’s C5ISR Center has invited Aurelius Systems to demonstrate its Archimedes Laser Sentinel at the Defense in Depth Experiment (DiDEX) 25. DiDEX is a closed Army exercise where emerging technologies are evaluated by Army scientists in live operational scenarios. Participation is limited to companies identified by the C5ISR Center’s Unique Mission Cell, which scouts for solutions aligned with priority Army requirements. The invitation follows Aurelius Systems’ recent $10 million raise from leading deep tech investors, marking growing confidence in the company’s approach to next-generation defense.

This year’s DiDEX occurs amid the industrialization of drone warfare. Russia has moved to steady production of Shahed-style systems, and China operates a commercial drone ecosystem at factory scale that can be redirected toward military use with minimal lead time. Even a small shift of that capacity enables massed swarms intended to overwhelm defenses that depend on limited stocks of missiles and interceptors. The aim is not parity in aircraft but saturation through disposable drones that impose economic and operational strain.

The effects are already visible. In Ukraine, small drones routinely stop supply movements, disable armored vehicles, and disrupt evacuations. In the Middle East, improvised systems have struck oil infrastructure and civilian airports. These incidents show that the threat extends beyond traditional battlefields and places military units and critical infrastructure at risk. The United States and its allies must prepare for sustained swarming attacks designed to exhaust logistics chains as well as cause physical damage.

Archimedes has been developed to meet this problem of scale. It is a lightweight, autonomous directed energy system designed to defeat Group 1 and Group 2 drones. The system integrates electro-optical and thermal sensors for detection and tracking, with inertial sensing to stabilize pointing, and engagements are managed by onboard autonomy to reduce operator burden. Its high energy laser delivers repeated shots at negligible marginal cost per engagement. Unlike missile-based defenses, Archimedes does not require reloads or resupply, which makes it well suited to counter persistent, high-volume swarms.

Selection for DiDEX signals that the Army is actively evaluating directed energy as a response to the economics of drone warfare. This evaluation reflects a growing recognition that systems not limited by magazine depth will be critical to countering adversary capacity.

“Adversaries are scaling drone output to levels that make traditional defenses unsustainable,” said Michael LaFramboise, CEO of Aurelius Systems. “Archimedes is designed to provide continuous coverage without dependence on resupply. DiDEX offers an opportunity to prove that capability against the operational challenges the Army is prioritizing.”

The C5ISR Center’s invitation to DiDEX serves as a decisive signal that the Army is actively pursuing technologies built for the realities of drone warfare. It reflects momentum Aurelius Systems has built through prior Defense Department evaluations and operational exercises. Taken together, these opportunities highlight that the company’s approach is earning trust at the highest levels, with military decision-makers recognizing Archimedes as the answer to the economic imbalance created by drone swarms.


About Aurelius

Aurelius Systems is developing autonomous laser weapons to counter modern drone threats. Based in San Francisco, the company fuses advanced optics, AI-guided tracking, and high-powered directed energy into a compact platform that can eliminate low-cost drones for a fraction of the cost of traditional systems. Aurelius is accelerating the deployment of practical, scalable, and field-ready innovation to restore the technological edge in defense.

Learn more at [www.aureliussystems.com]

Wilson Wiangchanok
Aurelius Systems
marketing@aureliussystems.us
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