Army Tests Counter-Drone Laser System
The U.S. Army's recent test of the AeroVironment LOCUST counter-drone system temporarily shut down airspace in El Paso, Texas. The test underscores the Pentagon's increasing focus on directed-energy weapons as a cost-effective solution to defeat the growing threat from unmanned aerial systems.
- The LOCUST (Laser Optical Counter-UAS System for Tactical Use) is a 20-kilowatt class laser weapon designed specifically to counter small unmanned aircraft. It is considered to be on the lower end of the power spectrum for military directed-energy weapons. The system is designed to be mobile and platform-agnostic, having been integrated onto the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), and in palletized versions for fixed-site defense. - This system falls under the Army's broader Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) modernization priority, which uses a multi-layered approach to protect maneuvering forces. The LOCUST system, part of the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) prototyping effort, is considered a 20kW-class capability to defeat smaller Group 1 and 2 drones. It complements the larger 50kW DE M-SHORAD laser integrated onto Stryker vehicles, which is designed to counter more robust threats like rockets, artillery, mortars, and Group 1-3 drones. - The Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) is heavily involved in prototyping these systems, including the DE M-SHORAD, to quickly field solutions. Four of the larger 50-kW DE M-SHORAD prototypes were deployed overseas for operational assessment in February 2024. This rapid prototyping approach aims to accelerate acquisition timelines to meet urgent threats posed by drones. - The primary driver for these systems is cost-effectiveness; a laser can neutralize a drone for the cost of a gallon of diesel fuel, or between $1-$13 per shot. This creates a favorable cost exchange ratio compared to using a conventional missile, which can cost from $50,000 to over $3 million, to destroy a drone that may only cost a few hundred dollars. - In January 2021, the Secretary of the Army was designated as the DoD's Executive Agent for Counter-sUAS, establishing the Joint C-sUAS Office (JCO) to synchronize efforts across the department. This was followed in December 2024 by a new, classified DoD-wide strategy for countering unmanned systems, which builds on initiatives like the JCO and the Replicator 2 initiative to defend against drone threats. - The LOCUST system, developed originally by BlueHalo which was acquired by AeroVironment, provides a full "kill chain" capability. It uses an advanced electro-optical/infrared tracking system and can be cued by various sensors, including radar, to detect, track, identify, and engage targets with its high-energy laser. - AeroVironment delivered the first palletized LOCUST systems to the Army in 2022, which have since been deployed operationally overseas. More recently, the company delivered versions integrated onto the Infantry Squad Vehicle and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle to the Army's RCCTO.
