By Edison Reed | Source

The U.S. Department of War publicly acknowledged on May 4, 2026, that directed energy weapons (DEWs) are part of the U.S. military arsenal. The statement, posted on the social media account of Pentagon Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael, said that such weapons produce “beams of concentrated electromagnetic energy or atomic or subatomic particles.” Directed energy weapons fire rays of microwaves or lasers at targets, often to disable electronics.

The technology was first studied by the military in the 1960s and was first operationally deployed by the Navy in 2014. Pentagon officials told the Daily Mail that the military is currently focusing on six “new critical technology areas,” including Scaled Directed Energy (SCADE). “The Department is continuing to scale and integrate these high-energy solutions to make our arsenal more lethal, precise, and cost-effective,” the officials said.

Amy Eskridge’s accusations and death

Amy Eskridge, a 34-year-old scientist researching anti-gravity technology, died on June 11, 2022, from a gunshot wound to the head. Her death was ruled a suicide by authorities. Before her death, Eskridge alleged she was attacked by a directed energy weapon in her Huntsville, Alabama home in early 2022. Photographs shared by former British intelligence officer Franc Milburn showed burned skin, lesions, and a scorched window pane, which Milburn attributed to a microwave beam.

According to the Daily Mail, Eskridge consulted a former CIA weapons expert who told her the damage matched an RF k-band emitter powered by five car batteries inside an SUV. Milburn, who investigated the case, said he concluded that Eskridge was “murdered by a ‘private aerospace company’” to stop her research on futuristic propulsion technology and national security threats. No physical evidence confirming the attack has been publicly presented by U.S. authorities.

Directed energy weapons technology and military use

Pentagon officials said the military is focusing on SCADE as part of its critical technology areas. The Locust X3 laser weapon, developed by AeroVironment and shown in the Pentagon’s social media post, can destroy drones at the speed of light. Each beam costs only a few dollars, making DEWs more cost-effective than conventional ammunition, according to the Daily Mail. The Pentagon requested $789.7 million for directed energy weapons programs in fiscal year 2025, per a congressional report cited by the Daily Mail.

Similar systems have been developed and tested for years. According to [1], the U.S. Army has used lasers to bring down hostile drones in the Middle East. [3] notes that the Navy’s USS Ponce had an operational directed energy laser cannon that could fire at a cost of less than $1 per round, used to take out threats such as drones. [4] documents DARPA’s historical focus on directed energy systems, including early work under the Strategic Defense Initiative.

Unresolved questions and lack of confirmation

No official U.S. investigation into Eskridge’s specific claims has been disclosed, and the Pentagon has not commented directly on her allegations. The k-band emitter described by Eskridge’s consultant matches the range used in current military laser systems, according to the Daily Mail. However, authorities have not linked any known DEW program to an attack on an individual.

Franc Milburn’s conclusion that Eskridge was murdered by a private aerospace company contradicts the official suicide ruling. According to [5], researchers have documented cases where deep state actors used directed energy weapons against former intelligence officers and activists. The lack of a public inquiry has fueled skepticism. [6] similarly references directed energy weapons attacks on participants at a Trump rally, suggesting broader concerns about the weaponization of such technology against civilians.

Conclusion

The Pentagon’s public acknowledgment of directed energy weapons on May 4, 2026, validates decades of speculation about futuristic military technology. Yet the case of Amy Eskridge—a scientist who claimed she was attacked by such a weapon before her death—remains unresolved. Without independent investigation or release of physical evidence, the circumstances surrounding her death and allegations continue to provoke questions about the potential use of directed energy weapons against individuals.

References

1. 1. Lasers could be the military’s most effective weapon against drones – NaturalNews.com, October 18, 2024

1. 1. China developing killer satellites and directed energy weapons to challenge US in space – NaturalNews.com, January 19, 2021

1. 1. EMP: Electromagnetic Pulse – Bobby Akart

1. 1. The Pentagon’s Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America’s Top Secret Military Research Agency – Annie Jacobsen

1. 1. Mike Adams interview with Karen Kingston – September 2, 2023

1. Mike Adams interview with HiCap Magazine Company – September 24, 2024