Key facts
- Fusion power startups are finding new partners in the defense industry.
- Defense applications were a foundational aspect of fusion science.
- Venture capital funding for climate tech, which typically supports fusion startups, has stalled.
- Laser weapons offer a more efficient alternative to traditional air defense systems.
- Xcimer, a laser-based fusion startup, partnered with RTX.
- Pacific Fusion signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Nuclear Security Administration.
Fusion power startups are increasingly turning to defense applications, a field that laid the groundwork for the industry decades ago, as venture capital funding for climate tech has slowed. These companies are leveraging their advanced laser technology, originally developed for fusion power, to create more efficient laser weapons.
The defense industry's interest has been amplified by the rise of drones in modern warfare, where traditional missile systems are often inefficient against smaller targets. Laser weapons offer a potentially more cost-effective solution, drawing power from generators or vehicle engines.
Xcimer, a startup focused on laser-based fusion, recently announced a partnership and investment from RTX, a defense conglomerate. This collaboration will allow RTX to explore Xcimer's powerful lasers for its own defense purposes. Xcimer operates what it claims is the world's largest privately owned laser system, which it intends to use for developing a power plant, but its current system is already powerful enough to attract defense industry attention.
Another player, Pacific Fusion, has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to collaborate on high-energy-density fusion experiments. The startup is building a demonstration facility in New Mexico that could have applications in defense, potentially generating fusion reactions more powerful than those used in current nuclear weapons experiments. Company executives noted that defense applications have always been a consideration, with key personnel having prior experience at national laboratories involved in defense research.