Overview
- AeroVironment introduced the third‑generation LOCUST X3 on Tuesday, describing a 20–35+ kW laser with a wider aperture built to hit Group 3 targets such as Iran’s Shahed drones.
- The company says each engagement costs about $5 and that the laser typically downed drones in five to seven seconds during trials.
- AeroVironment reported delivering four LOCUST systems to the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, with two mounted on Infantry Squad Vehicles and two on JLTVs.
- JIATF 401 and the FAA validated safety features at White Sands that stop the laser if a civilian aircraft crosses the beam and limit energy beyond a set focus point.
- Full system testing has not yet occurred, and the company is competing for the Army’s Enduring High Energy Laser award expected in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026.