Attalon Launches to Forge New Path in Directed Energy and Defense Tech

PHILADELPHIA, PA – January 13, 2026 – A new, highly focused player has officially entered the competitive aerospace and defense arena. Attalon, Inc. launched today as an independent company, emerging from its former role as the Aerospace & Defense business of Coherent Corp. (NYSE: COHR). The move follows its acquisition by private equity giant Advent International and signals a strategic sharpening of focus on mission-critical technologies like directed energy, precision optics, and advanced survivability solutions for the modern warfighter.

Leading the newly independent entity is John Bergeron, a 35-year veteran of the defense sector, who has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. Bergeron, who previously led the business unit under Coherent, brings a wealth of operational experience from leadership tenures at industry titans CACI, Raytheon, and GE.

The rebranding to Attalon is more than a name change; it represents a fundamental shift in mission and agility. The company states the name combines "Atta," for authority, with "Talon," for precision strike capability, reflecting its ambition to move from a component supplier within a large commercial conglomerate to a purpose-built defense platform.

"The battlefield is evolving faster than ever, moving toward autonomous systems and contested environments. Our customers cannot afford partners who are merely reactive," said John Bergeron in a statement. "Attalon is not just a component supplier; we are the core of optical and directed energy systems that will define modern defense. We are now unleashed to invest specifically in the technologies that the warfighter needs to dominate in these new domains."

The Private Equity Playbook in Defense

The launch of Attalon is the culmination of a $400 million transaction in which Advent International acquired the business from Coherent Corp. For Coherent, the divestiture was a strategic move to streamline its portfolio, pay down significant debt, and concentrate on its core growth markets in data centers and industrial photonics. The aerospace and defense unit, while valuable, operated with lower profit margins than Coherent's corporate average.

For Advent International, the acquisition is a calculated investment in a sector with immense growth potential. The firm has a well-established history of investing in national security, with companies like Cobham, Ultra Electronics, and Maxar Technologies in its portfolio. This track record suggests a long-term strategy of acquiring and nurturing companies with critical defense capabilities. Advent has signaled its intent to inject significant capital into Attalon's research and development, aiming to accelerate production capacity and solidify its leadership in advanced laser and optical technologies.

This private equity backing provides Attalon with the financial freedom and strategic flexibility it lacked as a small division within a larger public company. As an independent entity, the firm is structured to be more responsive to the rapidly changing needs of its defense clients.

"Attalon possesses rare technical capabilities that are critical to national security," noted Mike Kahn, Attalon's new Chairman of the Board. "As an independent entity, with John at the helm, Attalon is now positioned to move at the speed of the mission."

Navigating a High-Stakes Battlefield

Attalon enters a market that is both lucrative and fiercely competitive. The global directed energy weapons (DEW) market, one of Attalon's key focus areas, was valued at approximately $6.7 billion in 2024 and is projected to skyrocket to over $33 billion by 2034. This explosive growth is driven by a clear and present demand for new defensive systems.

The U.S. Department of Defense has designated directed energy as one of 14 critical technology areas, allocating roughly $1 billion annually to its development. The appeal is clear: DEWs offer speed-of-light engagement, a nearly unlimited magazine, and a dramatically lower cost-per-shot compared to traditional kinetic interceptors, making them ideal for countering threats like drones, rockets, artillery, and mortars.

However, the field is crowded with established giants. Attalon will be competing for contracts against behemoths like Lockheed Martin, RTX Corporation, and Northrop Grumman, all of which have mature, high-power laser and microwave programs. Success will depend on Attalon's ability to leverage its newfound agility to innovate faster and solve specific technological challenges, such as reducing the size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements of laser systems for integration onto tactical platforms.

The Physics of Future Warfare

Attalon's strategy hinges on mastering the physics of light and heat through three core technology pillars. First is Precision Optics, which provides the high-performance eyes for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR&T) systems across space, air, and ground domains.

Second is Directed Energy & Advanced Lasers. This includes the design and production of the critical components that power next-generation weapon systems, from spectrally and coherently beam-combined lasers to the precision gimbals required to aim them. This technology is also foundational for secure laser communications and advanced active sensing.

Finally, the company specializes in Precision Coatings. These are not ordinary coatings but highly engineered materials capable of withstanding the extreme conditions of modern warfare. Applied to both regular and conformal shapes, these coatings provide bespoke spectral characteristics for EMI and RF shielding and can survive the blistering heat of hypersonic flight, withstanding temperatures up to 1,000°C.

Together, these capabilities position Attalon to provide integrated solutions that enable military systems to see further, target faster, and survive in the most unforgiving environments. The company, which has over 500 employees across the U.S., will make its official public debut under its new brand at the Photonics West conference in San Francisco later this month.