The Air 
Force Research Laboratory’s Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland AFB, N.M., is establishing a High-Power Microwave Institute to help scientists there develop this emerging class of weapons. “High-power microwave technology can selectively degrade, disrupt, or destroy electronic systems, disperse aggressive crowds, and defeat improvised explosive devices at the speed of light, with little or no collateral effects,” writes AFRL’s Jeanne Dalley in a directorate release. The institute, essentially a high-performance computing center, will enable AFRL researchers to design HPM weapons virtually, significantly reducing developmental timelines and saving money in the process. Such computing tools will allow “the scientist to provide the inspiration, while the computer provides the perspiration,” states Dalley. This institute is the Air Force’s third high-performance computing center. It is made possible by an Office of the Secretary of Defense award.
Iran War Boosts Defense Stocks, at Least for Now
March 2, 2026
Defense specialists’ stock prices jumped March 2, the first day of trading since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran, led by the makers of munitions, high-tech defense specialists, and major prime contractors.