Army shifts to modular laser design

The US Army wants laser weapons that mount on ordinary military trucks instead of dedicated vehicles. AeroVironment won the initial manufacturing award for its 30-kilowatt LOCUST X3 in September 2026.

Target drones and cost per shot

The LOCUST X3 is designed to destroy Group 1 to 3 drones, covering aircraft from roughly 9 kg to 600 kg.

Detachable design solves maintenance problem

The laser sits on a detachable frame that moves between platforms, so a truck needing maintenance no longer sidelines the weapon.

Army engineer on maintainability

Kirk Williams, Chief Engineer at the Army's Directed Energy Project Office, said reliability alone is not enough."It's going to be on a battlefield.Things are going to break.We can break things in very creative ways, right?"

“It's going to be on a battlefield. Things are going to break.”

Limitations of laser technology

A single laser engages one drone at a time, and its beam weakens over distance.Smoke, dust and weather reduce effectiveness further.Battery power gives roughly 80 to 120 seconds of firing depending on the system.

Operational timeline and contract value

The service expects first LOCUST X3 units in operation by early 2028.The Army contract is worth 464.8 million dollars, and AeroVironment separately reported an initial international order valued above 50 million dollars on September 8th.

Expansion and future scaling plans

AeroVironment is spending over 30 million dollars to expand its Albuquerque campus, which should add 450 jobs and an estimated 670 million dollar economic impact.Scott Keeney, chief executive of nLIGHT, expects scaling to one megawatt.