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05 Nov 2025
Customer center and production site in Huntsville, Alabama, will support 'Crossbow' counter-drone laser system.
Fiber laser firm IPG Photonics has posted sales revenue of $251 million in its latest financial quarter, with CEO Mark Gitin optimistic that new opportunities in defense and medical applications will drive growth next year.
Up around 8 per cent on the same period last year, the latest sales figures were boosted by stronger demand from battery production for both electric vehicles and stationary storage applications, which rely on laser welding techniques.
“With our adjustable mode laser, weld monitoring, and beam delivery solutions, we continued to win orders with some of the largest battery and automotive manufacturers across multiple regions,” Gitin told investors, adding that IPG had begun shipping its new high-power rack-integrated lasers to customers for laser cutting.
“These next-generation lasers use our new higher power diodes, have a smaller footprint and lower manufacturing costs. Demand in additive manufacturing applications was very strong, and we won new business with our singlemode lasers tailored for that application.”
Urology and defense
While cutting and welding applications have been the bedrock of IPG’s business for many years, the CEO highlighted two other areas that look set to drive sales growth in the not-too-distant future.
Gitin pointed out that IPG had recently gained US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the new generation of its thulium fiber lasers for treating kidney stones.
“This new system incorporates our proprietary ‘StoneSense’ and advanced pulse modulation technologies, which deliver improved precision and control, continuing to enhance results in kidney stone removal procedures,” he said, adding that shipments of the new tool should start before the end of this year.
Turning to the firm’s counter-drone laser weapon, known as “Crossbow”, Gitin reported strong interest in the system at two recent arms fairs in London and Washington, DC, with conversations ongoing with “multiple” potential customers for both military and civilian applications, and beyond the firm’s established partnership with Lockheed Martin.
“We’re proud to announce the opening of our new IPG Defense customer center and production facility in Huntsville, Alabama, which is dedicated to supporting the Crossbow product line,” said the CEO.
“Over the last few months, there have been multiple examples of large international airports that were forced to shut down all flights due to the incursion of drones. We are optimistic that our solution can become a standard approach across many situations and scenarios to deal with these ever-increasing threats.”
That comment referred to significant drone-related shutdowns at airports including Munich, Copenhagen, and Oslo.
Drone testing
The Crossbow system, which can either be deployed on its own or as part of a broader defense solution, is designed to neutralize smaller UAVs, classified as “Group I” and “Group II” drones.
Gitin said that the new Huntsville facility, located close to several key US Department of Defense sites, will enable IPG to work on Crossbow near air space that is cleared for drone testing applications.
Looking ahead, Gitin and his executive team are expecting sales in the closing quarter of 2025 to come in at somewhere between $230 million and $260 million, suggesting that the annual total will fall just short of $1 billion for the second year in a row.
So far this year the company has posted an operating income of just under $10 million on sales of $729 million, a recovery from the prior year, when figures were negatively impacted by IPG’s exit from Russia and the forced sale of its IRE-Polus business unit.
• Following the latest financial update, IPG’s Nasdaq-listed stock price held steady at around $84, equivalent to a market capitalization of close to $3.5 billion.
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