Parsons' new JLTV ZEUS 4 laser weapon clears mines at the speed of light.

At AUSA 2025, Parsons Corporation displayed the JLTV-mounted ZEUS 4 laser system, developed with the U.S. Air Force under a cooperative research agreement. The system uses a high-energy laser to neutralize explosive threats safely and rapidly, providing a mobile alternative to conventional disposal methods.

At AUSA 2025, Parsons Corporation presented the ZEUS 4 Directed Energy System integrated on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, a compact platform designed to clear unexploded ordnance using concentrated light energy. Developed with the Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Readiness Directorate, the system replaces traditional explosive charges with a laser that heats and neutralizes mines and other munitions from a safe distance. This configuration gives the Air Force a faster, lighter, and more flexible tool for clearing routes, airfields, and post-strike areas.
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The ZEUS 4 system operates by projecting a focused fiber laser beam that heats the casing of unexploded ordnance until the explosive filler combusts or deflagrates, neutralizing the threat without causing a high-order detonation. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The ZEUS 4 Directed Energy System, here integrated on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), is being developed under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s Readiness Directorate (AFCEC/CX). The ZEUS 4 is a next-generation system derived from the ZEUS 3, already integrated into the Recovery of Airbase Denied by Ordnance (RADBO) program, which uses a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle. The RADBO program is the first directed energy system approved for full production, with the first production lot already delivered and the second in manufacturing. Displaying the ZEUS 4 on a JLTV platform demonstrates how Parsons and the Air Force are testing more compact, flexible, and deployable configurations of laser-based explosive ordnance disposal systems that can be rapidly fielded for use across a wider range of operational environments.

The ZEUS 4 introduces technical improvements in size, weight, and power efficiency compared to earlier variants, while incorporating an artificial intelligence–driven targeting sensor for faster and more accurate ordnance identification. The system is designed with a “palletized, bolt-on” configuration that enables installation on multiple vehicles without permanent structural modification, allowing for easier integration across different tactical fleets. This vehicle-agnostic architecture improves operational flexibility and simplifies logistics during rapid deployments. The use of advanced targeting algorithms allows the system to autonomously detect and classify unexploded ordnance (UXO) and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at greater accuracy levels. The AI integration and hardware packaging collectively support a reduction in setup time and increase adaptability to varying battlefield conditions, while maintaining the safety and reliability required for explosive ordnance disposal missions.

The JLTV-mounted ZEUS 4 offers the Air Force a lighter and more mobile platform compared to the larger MRAP vehicles used in the RADBO program. The JLTV’s reduced weight and modern power management system improve energy efficiency and facilitate integration of high-energy laser components without significant modification. This smaller platform provides a lower profile and higher maneuverability in confined or contested areas, allowing for faster relocation and reduced detection risk. The configuration also expands the system’s mission potential beyond airfield recovery to route clearance, post-strike area sanitization, and humanitarian demining operations. The JLTV’s digital infrastructure supports the system’s power and cooling requirements while maintaining full vehicle autonomy, thereby ensuring directed energy operations can be sustained during extended missions.

The ZEUS 4 operates by projecting a focused fiber laser beam that heats the casing of unexploded ordnance until the explosive filler combusts or deflagrates, neutralizing the threat without causing a high-order detonation. This process significantly reduces collateral damage and risk to personnel and nearby equipment. The system provides a standoff engagement range from 25 to 300 meters, offering flexibility for operators in both close and extended engagements. It is fully qualified to military standards (MIL-SPEC) for temperature extremes, electromagnetic interference, blowing sand and dust, fog, rain, and road vibration. ZEUS 4 can operate day and night in all weather conditions and has completed over 2,000 miles (3,218 kilometers) of testing on degraded terrain without system failure. The use of fiber laser technology ensures reliable energy output and continuous operation with minimal power loss during extended usage.

Over its development history, the ZEUS system has been tested against more than 50 different types of ordnance, including landmines, mortar rounds, artillery projectiles, rockets, rifle grenades, and 500-pound general-purpose bombs. Parsons reports that ZEUS systems have neutralized more than 5,000 explosive items with a 100 percent effectiveness rate under controlled and operational conditions. The system uses no consumables, lowering operational costs and simplifying logistics. It features a simplified user interface that minimizes training requirements and enables safe, accurate targeting by explosive ordnance disposal personnel. Designed to be self-contained, the ZEUS 4 includes all its subsystems within the host vehicle, allowing autonomous operation without external power sources. The fiber laser’s precision enables the system to maintain consistent performance against both metallic and plastic-cased ordnance.

The ZEUS 4 builds on the operational success of earlier ZEUS systems fielded under the Air Force’s RADBO program. In 2020, Parsons received a $50.6 million six-year contract to manufacture and sustain 13 RADBO units, followed by a $63 million modification in 2024, increasing the total number of systems to 29. The RADBO’s ZEUS 3 laser demonstrated operational effectiveness during exercises such as Cope North 24 in the Indo-Pacific, achieving complete mission success in rapid airfield clearance operations. These programs confirmed the viability of directed energy for explosive ordnance disposal and improved airbase recovery speed following attacks. The ZEUS fiber laser was also deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan for route clearance, mine removal, and post-conflict demining, where it neutralized thousands of explosive devices from safe standoff distances exceeding 300 meters.

Laser weapons are increasingly considered for explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) because they offer several advantages over conventional methods of neutralizing unexploded devices. One primary benefit is that they reach their targets at the speed of light, allowing near-instant neutralization of unexploded ordnance with a focused beam that heats a munition’s casing until the explosive filler combusts, which reduces collateral damage. Their precision and scalable power let operators apply just the energy needed to defeat a specific target, while standoff engagement ranges of tens to a few hundred meters keep personnel clear of blast and fragmentation hazards. Because these systems consume electrical power rather than physical munitions, they lower logistic burdens and per-engagement costs and permit faster, repeated operations so long as a power source is available.

Modular, bolt-on designs allow rapid installation on vehicles or robotic platforms, increasing deployment flexibility across airfield recovery, route clearance, and humanitarian demining missions. Advances in fiber lasers improve efficiency, compactness, and reliability, while adaptive optics and AI-assisted targeting increase hit probability and maintain beam quality over operational ranges. The absence of consumables simplifies sustainment in austere or forward environments and reduces handling risks associated with carrying explosive charges. Together, these attributes offer faster, more precise, and more sustainable ordnance disposal options that enhance safety and operational tempo for explosive ordnance disposal teams.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.