The U.S. Army’s latest laser weapon is no longer a bulky science project strapped to a shipping pallet. It has been squeezed onto small tactical trucks and Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, turning the LOCUST system into a mobile drone hunter that can roll with frontline units instead of guarding a fixed base. That shift from static experiment to wheeled workhorse is quietly rewriting how the Army plans to survive in a sky filled with cheap, hostile drones.
What began as a palletized high energy laser parked at the edge of a range is now a 20,000 watt-class directed energy cannon that can track and burn incoming uncrewed aircraft from a moving vehicle. By shrinking the hardware and hardening the software, engineers have turned the Army’s laser “Locust” into a practical tool for countering swarms, not just a flashy demo for visiting dignitaries.
From palletized experiment to rolling laser cannon
The Army’s journey with this technology started with the Palletized High Energy Laser, a containerized prototype that sat on the back of a truck or on the ground and fired from a fixed position. Beginning life as the Palletized High Energy Laser, often shortened to P-HEL, the system was essentially a proof of concept that a compact, electrically powered beam could knock small drones out of the sky. It was powerful, but it was also heavy and limited to wherever a logistics team could drop a pallet and run cables.
Engineers and program managers then pushed to turn that static demonstrator into something that could maneuver with combat units, which is how the LOCUST, also called the AMP-HEL, emerged. AeroVironment, Inc took the original high energy laser, refined the power and thermal management, and packaged it into a form factor that could bolt onto small tactical vehicles without overwhelming their suspension or power systems, creating a mobile laser that could defend critical infrastructure and frontline formations against aerial threats while on the move.
What a 20,000 watt laser on wheels can actually do
At the heart of the new configuration is a 20,000 watt-class beam that the Army is now testing as a vehicle-mounted counter drone weapon. The service is evaluating this second generation LOCUST system as a 20,000W vehicle-mounted laser designed specifically for drone defense, a power level that allows the beam to rapidly heat and structurally fail small uncrewed aircraft at tactically relevant ranges. That output is not in the megawatt range associated with missile defense concepts, but it is more than enough to melt composite airframes, blind sensors, or ignite batteries on quadcopters and fixed wing drones.
In practical terms, that means a LOCUST-equipped truck can park near an ammunition dump, convoy, or command post and quietly burn down incoming threats without the noise and backblast of traditional guns or missiles. The laser’s ability to deliver energy at the speed of light also gives operators a chance to engage multiple targets in quick succession, shifting the beam from one drone to the next as long as the power and cooling systems keep up.
From JLTV turrets to small tactical trucks
The most visible sign that this laser has truly gone mobile is its integration onto the JLTV, the armored truck that is replacing many Humvees in Army formations. Reports describe JLTV-mounted LOCUST laser weapons that sit where a gun turret or remote weapon station might normally go, giving the vehicle a direct line of sight to the sky and surrounding terrain. Mounting the system on a JLTV means the laser can accompany infantry, artillery, or logistics convoys into contested areas instead of waiting at a rear-area base.
The Army is also experimenting with putting the same directed energy package on other small vehicles, including lighter trucks that can maneuver in tight urban streets or rough terrain. By spreading LOCUST across multiple platforms, commanders can create overlapping bubbles of laser coverage that protect columns of vehicles, forward operating bases, and critical infrastructure from drones and similar threats without relying solely on larger air defense batteries.
How LOCUST evolved through Army deliveries and prototypes
The path from concept to fielded system has run through a series of deliveries and prototype efforts that steadily shrank and hardened the design. AeroVironment first delivered a LOCUST Laser Weapon System to the Army under the Palletized High Energy Laser program, giving soldiers an early look at how a containerized high energy laser could fit into base defense. Those initial systems were not yet optimized for small vehicles, but they provided the data and operator feedback needed to refine the optics, software, and power subsystems.
Later, virginia based AeroVironment delivered two prototype high energy laser weapon systems to the Army, a step that highlighted how the company used prototype builds to validate performance before committing to larger production runs. Those prototypes helped prove that the laser, sensors, and command and control could be integrated into a compact package that still met the Army’s requirements for reliability and lethality against uncrewed aerial systems.
Inside the updated LOCUST: sensors, AI, and lethality
The latest iteration of LOCUST is not just a more powerful beam on a smaller chassis, it is also a smarter weapon that leans heavily on automation. The updated device includes a suite of sensors and control software that allow it to detect, track, and engage drones with minimal operator input, a capability that is crucial when facing swarms or fast moving threats. Jan reporting on the LOCUST features notes that the company does not disclose full specifications, but it does highlight improvements in tracking, beam control, and targeting that make the system more lethal against drones.
Those enhancements are paired with advanced AI and battle management tools that help operators prioritize targets and manage power usage. BlueHalo describes the LOCUST family as Operationally deployed with proven lethality, emphasizing end to end engineering elegance coupled with advanced AI that ties into command and control networks. In practice, that means the laser can plug into existing radar, electro optical sensors, and C2 systems, sharing tracks and engagement data across a wider air defense architecture.
BlueHalo’s LOCUST Laser Weapon System and the $3 shot
While AeroVironment, Inc has been central to the Army’s LOCUST journey, BlueHalo has become the most visible face of the laser’s operational performance. The company’s LOCUST Laser Weapon System, or LWS, is marketed as a comprehensive counter UAS solution that can deliver a complete kill chain from detection to engagement. BlueHalo notes that BlueHalo’s LOCUST LWS represents a complete system that can be set up in less than 15 minutes, underscoring how far the technology has come from its palletized roots.
In public demonstrations, BlueHalo has highlighted the cost advantage of directed energy by showing a LOCUST laser melting drones with a beam that uses roughly $3 worth of electricity per shot. One widely shared video describes how 3,000 degrees and $3 worth of energy is all this laser needs to shoot down a drone moving at 50 m per hour, a stark contrast to the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars that a single interceptor missile can cost. That kind of economics is a major reason the Army is so interested in putting lasers on small vehicles, since it allows units to trade expensive missiles for cheap electrons when dealing with low cost drones.
From ARLINGTON labs to JLTV deliveries
The industrial and institutional machinery behind LOCUST has been just as important as the physics. In ARLINGTON, Va, AeroVironment, Inc announced that it had successfully delivered the first two multi purpose high energy laser systems to the U.S. Army, a milestone that signaled the transition from lab prototype to fielded capability. The company, listed on NASDAQ as AVAV, credited its Space & Directed Energy Group with pushing the technology into a ruggedized form that soldiers could actually use in the field.
Those early deliveries paved the way for more operationally focused systems. AeroVironment later delivered two JLTV mounted LOCUST laser weapon systems to the Army under the second increment of the program, a step that showed the service was ready to test the lasers in more realistic scenarios. Reporting notes that AeroVironment delivered two JLTV mounted LOCUST systems to the Army, with an emphasis on performance against uncrewed aerial systems and the ability to integrate with existing vehicle platforms.
Real-world tests, “Photos” and the small-vehicle arsenal
The shift from concept to capability has been documented in a series of field tests and photo releases that show the laser mounted on operational vehicles. One set of images highlighted how the Army gets mobile truck mounted lasers to kill multiple drones at just a few dollars per shot, with Photos of the Army’s trucks carrying 20kW class laser systems featuring LOCUST hardware. Those images underscored that the technology is no longer confined to test ranges, but is being evaluated in configurations that look very much like operational units.
Industry voices have framed these developments as part of a broader push to build an arsenal of small vehicle based defenses against drones. On the heels of the most recent December test, BlueHalo is moving forward alongside the Army with updates that will make it easier to field lasers on a variety of platforms, a trend captured in analysis that notes On the heels of those tests, it is actually feasible to imagine a future where most small tactical vehicles carry some form of directed energy or electronic warfare payload for drone protection.
Taking LOCUST to sea and across services
The Army is not the only customer eyeing this technology. At Navy League events, BlueHalo has showcased the Locust laser to maritime audiences, pitching it as a way to protect ships from drones and other low altitude threats. Demonstrations at Navy League 2025 highlighted how the same core laser and beam director could be adapted to naval mounts, giving BlueHalo a path to sell Locust to navy customers who face similar drone and small boat threats.
That cross service interest reinforces the idea that LOCUST is less a single Army gadget and more a modular directed energy family that can be tailored to different platforms. Whether it is bolted to a JLTV, perched on a small truck, or integrated into a shipboard mount, the underlying concept is the same: use a compact, electrically powered laser to deliver precise, low cost shots against uncrewed systems that would otherwise soak up expensive missiles or overwhelm traditional guns.
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