RTX Ventures backs Xcimer Energy to adapt laser-fusion tech for future U.S. directed-energy air defenses

RTX Ventures has committed capital to Xcimer Energy, a company developing excimer-laser technology for a fusion-power pilot plant. The partnership aims to explore how Xcimer’s pulsed-laser system could be containerized and integrated into RTX-managed air-defense platforms. In June, the U.S. Department of Energy approved Xcimer’s fusion pilot-plant design under its Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program, providing a government endorsement that underpins the commercial-military collaboration.

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Laser-fusion research relies on intense, repeatable laser pulses that compress and heat fuel to achieve nuclear fusion. Xcimer’s approach uses excimer lasers, which the company says can meet the same reliability, energy-efficiency, and cost constraints required for directed-energy weapons. For a practical battlefield system, the laser must fire repeatedly, operate at manageable power levels, and fit within deployable platforms—requirements that mirror the challenges faced by existing directed-energy prototypes. RTX contributes expertise in sensing, command-and-control, and air-defense integration, potentially accelerating the transition from laboratory-scale fusion experiments to field-ready directed-energy weapons.

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Conner Galloway, co-founder, CEO and Chief Science Officer of Xcimer, emphasized that the United States is accelerating next-generation air-defense development and that affordable, scalable directed-energy systems are increasingly urgent. He highlighted the excimer-based laser’s performance, speed, and inherent scalability as key advantages over current systems. RTX Chief Technology Officer Juan de Bedout noted that Xcimer’s pulsed-laser technology aligns closely with RTX’s capabilities in advanced sensing, command-and-control, and air-defense, suggesting a natural fit for joint development.

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• “As the United States accelerates the development of next-generation air defense, the need for affordable and scalable directed energy systems has never been more urgent,” — Conner Galloway, co-founder, CEO and Chief Science Officer at Xcimer

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• “We believe Xcimer’s pulsed-laser technology lines up perfectly with our expertise in areas like advanced sensing, command and control and air defense,” — RTX Chief Technology Officer, CEO and chief

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