The US Army has committed at least $400 million to buy AeroVironment's Locust high-energy laser systems, marking the Pentagon's first production contract for a directed-energy counter-drone weapon that has moved beyond the prototype stage.
From prototype to production
The award, revealed on August 7, 2026, will supply the Army with dozens of Locust laser weapon systems that use artificial intelligence to detect, track and destroy Group 1 through Group 3 unmanned aerial systems at ranges of a few kilometers. The deal turns three years of AMP-HEL and P-HEL prototype work into a durable program of record, with production units shipping through the end of the decade.
How Locust works
Locust delivers 20-35+ kW of laser energy through a modular beam director that can be mounted on JLTVs, Infantry Squad Vehicles, ships or fixed sites. AeroVironment says each engagement costs less than $5 in electricity, giving field commanders what is effectively an unlimited magazine against low-cost quadcopters and one-way attack drones. The X3 variant, unveiled at AUSA Global Force in Huntsville earlier this year, adds AV_Halo Pinpoint automated tracking software.
Why the Army moved now
Small drones have redrawn every modern battlefield from Ukraine to the Red Sea, and interceptor missiles that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each are unsustainable against $500 quadcopters. The Locust production award follows a string of other CUAS deals worth several billion dollars, from Kaizen's JIATF-401 marketplace to a $500 million counter-drone contract that AeroVironment secured in July. AVAV stock jumped 8% on the news.
Related coverage: AeroVironment's $500M CUAS contract, Kaizen JIATF-401 marketplace, AV Titan-MS base defense.
Reporting based on coverage from Bloomberg, Army Recognition, DefenseScoop and AeroVironment.