1. Short title This Act may be cited as the United States-United Kingdom Directed Energy Cooperation Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Directed energy platforms are electromagnetic systems capable of converting chemical or electrical energy to radiated energy and focusing it on a target, resulting in physical damage that degrades or neutralizes an adversarial capability. These systems include high-energy lasers that emit photons and high-power microwaves that release radiofrequency waves. (2) Directed energy platforms hold enormous potential for non-lethal, defensive capabilities, including protection against advanced missiles and swarms of unmanned aerial systems. (3) At a fraction of the per-use cost of kinetic defense platforms, directed energy capabilities could greatly enhance the deterrence posture of the United States and protect against emerging threats such as hypersonic and maneuverable missiles. (4) Collaboration between the United States and the United Kingdom on the development and application of directed energy weapon technologies can be traced back to 2010. The UK/US Directed Energy Symposium was created under bilateral exchange agreements between the United States and the United Kingdom, covering topics such as high-energy lasers, modeling and simulation, and protection against high-power radio frequency weapons. (5) In response to technological advances and emerging threats, the United States has increased investments in next-generation directed energy capabilities and is exploring the potential for boost-phase ballistic missile defense with the Low-Power Laser Demonstrator program. Existing programs within each service branch are developing technologies to protect members of the Armed Forces from rocket, artillery, mortar, and unmanned aerial systems. (6) In 2017, the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence awarded £30M to an international defense consortium to build a prototype for the Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) Capability Demonstrator. The air defense system will be