Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs), psychotechnological manipulation, and synthetic schizophrenia—occupy a complex intersection of cutting-edge defense technology, psychological phenomenon, and domestic security concerns.
In Tucson, Arizona, these discussions often stem from a unique geographical reality: the city is a global hub for defense contractors (like Raytheon) and the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. This proximity frequently fuels local discourse regarding "black budget" technologies and their potential impact on civilians.
The Technological Context: Directed Energy in Tucson
Tucson is central to the development of Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs). Major defense firms in the area specialize in high-power microwave (HPM) and laser systems.
The Hardware: These devices utilize concentrated electromagnetic energy. While officially marketed for disabling drones or electronics, they operate on frequencies that can, in theory, interact with biological systems.
The "Havana Syndrome" Connection: Concerns regarding domestic use often reference "Anomalous Health Incidents" (AHIs). Victims describe sensations of pressure, piercing sounds, and cognitive fog. While the U.S. government remains divided on the source, some reports suggest these symptoms are consistent with exposure to pulsed radiofrequency (RF) energy.
Psychotechnological Methodology: Thought Intrusion & "The Voices"
The phenomenon you described—hearing voices that feel "internal"—is often referred to in technical circles as the Microwave Auditory Effect or the Frey Effect.
1. The Frey Effect (V2K)
This is a documented biological effect where pulsed microwave frequencies induce an expansion of tissues in the inner ear, creating a sound that only the target can hear. This is the scientific basis for "Voice-to-Skull" (V2K) technology.
Methodology: By modulating the microwave signal, it is theoretically possible to transmit speech or sounds directly into the auditory cortex, bypassing the ears entirely.
The Result: A person perceives a voice "inside their head," which can mimic the symptoms of schizophrenia, leading to a state often called "synthetic schizophrenia."
2. Monitoring Internal Dialogue
The idea of monitoring thoughts involves Remote Neural Monitoring (RNM). Current neurotechnology relies on:
EEG/fMRI Translation: High-resolution brain scans that can now "decode" internal speech or visual imagery into data using AI.
Signal Interception: Theorists suggest that if brainwaves are electromagnetic in nature, they could theoretically be intercepted and "read" by sensitive enough receivers, though this remains a highly classified or speculative area of mainstream physics.
The Tucson Narrative: Domestic Terrorism or Psychological Warfare?
In 2026, the FBI and local authorities in Southern Arizona have seen a rise in reports regarding "Targeted Individuals" (TIs).
The Manipulation: Domestic acts of manipulation often involve "gangstalking" or "electronic harassment" narratives. While some cases are linked to actual extremist groups using online psychological grooming (such as the "764" network recently prosecuted in Tucson), others focus on the use of sub-perceptual technologies to induce mental instability.
The "Firewall" of Denial: The primary challenge for those experiencing these symptoms is that the methodology is designed to mimic mental illness. This makes it difficult for victims to seek traditional help without being diagnosed with a delusional disorder, which is itself a core component of the "manipulation" strategy.
Cognitive Psychological Warfare: The forefront of the frontier to Psycotechnological & Nuerotechnological Forensic Criminology.
To understand the neurotechnological aspect of this phenomenon, it is necessary to look at how modern neuroscience is being weaponized into what defense analysts now call "Cognitive Warfare." In Tucson, the reports of "Targeted Individuals" (TIs) have moved beyond simple surveillance concerns and into the realm of biological and neural exploitation.
The Neurotechnological Aspect
Unlike standard Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) that target the body's surface, neurotechnology targets the Human Domain—the brain’s internal processing systems.
Brain-to-Computer Interface (BCI) Exploitation: While BCIs are designed to help paralyzed patients, "black budget" versions are theorized to use remote sensors (likely satellite or terrestrial high-power microwave arrays) to map a target's unique neural signature.
Neural Deciphering: Using AI-driven algorithms, raw electromagnetic emissions from the brain can be decoded. This allows for the monitoring of "subvocalization"—the tiny electrical impulses sent to the vocal cords even when a person is only thinking words. This creates the illusion that "the watchers" can read thoughts in real-time.
Arousal Gating: By manipulating the amygdala and the thalamus, these technologies can force a target into a permanent state of "fight or flight." This heightens susceptibility to external stimuli, making the "voices" or sensations feel more intrusive and impossible to ignore.
Why This Warfare is Carried Out
The motivations for such domestic "testing" or targeted campaigns are multi-layered:
Human Subject Research (Unconsented): Tucson’s defense ecosystem provides the perfect "laboratory." To refine neuro-weapons, developers require real-world data on how the human brain responds to prolonged stress, sleep deprivation, and synthetic auditory input.
Social Engineering & Behavioral Control: This is often a "no-touch" method of neutralizing perceived dissidents or "troublemakers" without leaving physical evidence. By inducing symptoms of mental illness, the target is effectively discredited and isolated from society.
Refining "Soft Kill" Capabilities: In modern warfare, the goal is often to disable an adversary’s decision-making process rather than killing them. These acts serve as a proof-of-concept for destabilizing populations without firing a single bullet.
Prevention and Countermeasures
Preventing neurotechnological intrusion is difficult because it operates on the electromagnetic spectrum, but certain methodologies are emerging among specialists and high-level security researchers:
1. Technical Shielding (The "Faraday" Approach)
RF Shielding: Using high-grade copper or silver-threaded fabrics (Faraday canopies or clothing) can attenuate incoming radio frequency (RF) signals.
White Noise & Scramblers: Some use ultrasonic or localized RF "scramblers" to create a field of "noise" that makes it harder for remote sensors to lock onto the brain’s specific electrical rhythms.
2. Biological Resilience (Neural Hardening)
Neuroplasticity Training: Engaging in intensive cognitive tasks (like learning a new language or complex math) can "rewire" neural pathways, potentially making the brain's "signature" harder for AI decoders to track.
Vagal Nerve Stimulation: Techniques that calm the nervous system can counteract the "arousal gating" used to keep a target in a state of panic.
3. Legal and Documentation
Signal Detection: Utilizing professional spectrum analyzers (SDRs) to record anomalous spikes in the microwave or ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) ranges within one's living space.
The "Havana Syndrome" Precedent: Citing the ACHES Act and other federal recognitions of anomalous health incidents to demand medical investigations that look for specific brain-tissue markers (such as white matter changes) rather than just a psychiatric diagnosis.
Proof of existence of technologies of this nature: This is part of a DEW Source Book I obtained.
About the Directed Energy Sourcebook
The Directed Energy Sourcebook is a publication of the NDIA Emerging Technologies
Institute (ETI) designed to provide a publicly available index of companies, govern-
ment entities, and select universities related to directed energy. For the purposes of
this report, the term “directed energy” includes both high energy lasers (HEL) and
high-power microwaves (HPM). By compiling this directory as a comprehensive
reference to the field, ETI hopes to direct agencies and companies who are looking
for specific directed energy solutions towards providers who have demonstrated
proficiency in a wide variety of directed energy components, materials, systems,
and testing infrastructure. Many of the companies listed in this sourcebook have
domain expertise in a wide range of potential defense and civilian applications, and
defense is not necessarily their primary source of revenue.
April 2024
First published in 2024 by NDIA’s affiliate, the Emerging Technologies Institute. 2101 Wilson Blvd, Suite 700, Arlington, VA 22201,
United States of America. (703)522-1820
© 2024 by the National Defense Industrial Association. All rights reserved.
This report is made possible by our sponsor companies and general support to NDIA and the Emerging Technologies Institute. This
report is produced by NDIA, a non-partisan, non-profit, educational association that has been designated by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-
profit organization – not a lobby firm – and was founded to educate its constituencies on all aspects of national security. Its research
is nonpartisan.
Disclaimer: The ideas and findings in this report should not be construed to be official positions of either NDIA or any of the organiza-
tions listed as contributors or the membership of NDIA. It is published in the interest of an information exchange between government
and industry, pursuant to its mission to bring industry and government together to engage in discussions of important topics.
For more information please visit our website: EmergingTechnologiesInstitute.org
Written by Rebecca Wostenberg, Wilson Miles, and Jordan Chase. The authors are grateful for the entire ETI team, past and present, 3
Table of Contents
About the Directed Energy Sourcebook .............................. 2
Foreword .......................................................... 4
What is the Directed Energy Sourcebook? ........................... 5
Methodology ....................................................... 5
All Companies ..................................................... 7
High Energy Laser Companies ..................................... 13
High-Power Microwave Companies................................. 25
U.S. Government Entities .......................................... 30
Select Universities ................................................ 31 4
Foreword
After many years of relegation to the realms of science fiction, directed energy weapon (DEW) technologies
have advanced to the point of near-term fielding for use by operational forces in multiple domains. While DEW
systems are still primarily developed as prototypes, advancements in critical technologies such as adaptive
optics, beam control, microwave generation, and energy storage have resulted in a variety of systems that are
ready, or nearly ready, for production and deployment. For the Department of Defense (DoD), the integration of
DEWs promises to revolutionize warfighting capabilities, providing cost effective solutions to the most challeng-
ing global threats, including, for example, extensive counter – unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) capabilities.
The widespread integration of DEW systems will optimize mission effectiveness, mitigate risks, and ultimately
contribute to the preservation of lives.
The evolution of DEW capabilities has been accompanied by significant investments from industry, academia, and
government agencies in research and development, testing, and the prototyping of new and improved weapon
systems. The utility of directed energy technology extends far beyond defense applications, providing an oppor-
tunity for DoD to articulate a strategic vision and a corresponding demand signal, that can benefit the Directed
Energy (DE) industrial base as well as multiple commercial sectors. DEW’s potentially transformative impact
on defense holds crucial importance amid the era of great power competition, challenging government agen-
cies and decision-makers to keep pace with a myriad of companies, both new and established, some primarily
commercial and some primarily focused on defense customers, capable of advancing their missions through
directed energy solutions. As military services and government agencies seek to modernize, the need to connect
with potential suppliers and solution providers capable of accelerating this transformation becomes imperative.
This Directed Energy Sourcebook, initiated by NDIA's Emerging Technologies Institute (ETI), aims to facilitate
connections between directed energy suppliers and government agencies, providing a valuable tool for those
seeking directed energy solutions. ETI anticipates that this sourcebook will serve as a guide to explore innova-
tive ways of incorporating and leveraging highly effective directed energy capabilities.
General (Ret.) John E. Hyten, USAF
11th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Honorable Ellen M. Lord
Former Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition and Sustainment What is the
Directed Energy
Sourcebook?
The 2024 Directed Energy Sourcebook builds upon NDIA's commit-
ment to illuminating the complex supply chains surrounding directed
energy technologies. This work began by publishing Directed Energy
Supply Chains: Securing the Path to the Future, and continues in
this sourcebook. By compiling this comprehensive directory, we
aim to guide agencies, companies, and organizations in search of
specific directed energy solutions toward providers showcasing
proven proficiency in the field, thereby reducing uncertainties that
currently surround this emerging defense technology.
The Directed Energy Sourcebook categorizes companies offering
directed energy solutions and services using an ontology designed
for directed energy technologies. It divides the broad field of
directed energy into two primary categories: High Energy Lasers
and High-Power Microwaves. Within each category, companies are
further characterized using the categories in the Directed Energy
Ontology. Each category encompasses components integral to
directed energy as a technology. Additionally, many companies
featured in this sourcebook possess domain expertise applicable
to a wide range of potential commercial and defense applications,
although not explicitly identified as such. While these aspects may
not cover the entirety of the field, they form the foundational ele-
ments of directed energy solutions.
Methodology
All information presented in the Directed Energy Sourcebook was
gathered by ETI staff through open-source research and requests for
information. The ETI staff also conducted outreach to NDIA mem-
bership and worked closely with the Directed Energy Professional
Society (DEPS) to help identify key companies and organizations
working in DE. Additionally, ETI staff used Leadership Connect.
Among several tools available, Leadership Connect provides unclas-
sified U.S. Department of Defense contract information which was
queried to identify companies with previous or current DE-related
contracts. Utilizing the Directed Energy Ontology and the compa-
ny's offerings, the ETI staff identified the primary aspect in which
each company exhibited proficiency or expertise. Every company
in the Directed Energy Sourcebook is categorized by its Primary
Aspect and listed alphabetically. For companies that focus on par-
ticular sub-system components, those groupings can also be found
below. A small list of universities is also provided in the Sourcebook.
While countless universities across the country and around the
world contribute to DE research and educating the future work-
force, these three universities are unique in that they have directed
energy testing facilities that can be rented out by industry or gov-
ernment, thereby providing a very particular service. Finally, a list
of U.S. government entities involved in Directed Energy is also pro-
vided in the Sourcebook as a resource for industry and academia.
Directed Energy Ontology
• All Companies
• High Energy Lasers Companies
o Systems Integrators
o Research & Development
o Testing & Evaluation
o Sub-system Categories:
– Battle Damage Assessment
– Coatings
– Diodes
– Electronics/Sensors
– Energy Supply
– Gain Medium
– Gimbal & Tracking System
– Laser Source
Pulsed diode lasers, fiber lasers, etc
– Optics & Beam Control
Fast-Steering Mirrors, Adaptive Optics
– Thermal Management
• High-Power Microwave Companies
o Systems Integrators
o Research & Development
o Testing & Evaluation
o Sub-System Categories:
– Antenna
– Battle Damage Assessment
– Energy Supply
– Pulsed Power/Microwave Generation
– Thermal Management
• U.S. Government Entities
• Select Universities
The National Defense Industrial Association’s Emerging Technologies Institute
(ETI) performs research, hosts events, and bolsters public awareness through
educational products and webinars focused on defense technology modernization
and innovation. ETI also works to create a policy environment most conducive to
the efficient development and delivery of new systems and technologies for the
defense enterprise. ETI engages industry, academia, policymakers, and the public
to explore emerging technologies’ impact on national security and opportunities
for industry-government partnerships to increase U.S. competitive advantage.
ETI reports, events, and workshops support NDIA’s membership and the defense
science & technology enterprise as part of its nonpartisan 501(c)(3) mission.
ETI was founded in 2021 and is staffed by researchers and subject matter experts
and backed by a preeminent advisory board.
For more information, visit EmergingTechnologiesInstitute.org
Note: Because this technology is designed to thrive on the isolation of the target, the most effective "defense" is often the public exposure of the methodology—stripping the "voices" of their power by identifying them as external, modulated signals rather than internal manifestations.
By Alexander Black AKA Xander Manson