Army awards first production contract for high-energy laser to AeroVironment for LOCUST X3

The U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a roughly $465 million contract for the Enduring-High Energy Laser program, marking the service’s first production order for a high‑energy laser weapon. The LOCUST X3 system, a 30 kW directed-energy counter-drone weapon, will be produced at scale with initial capabilities within a year and a ramp to dozens of units annually, deployed across multiple platforms to defeat drones from Group 1 to Group 3.