U.S. Army has awarded AeroVironment Inc. a $464.8 million agreement to produce its first high-energy Army laser weapon. This is under the Enduring-High Energy Laser program.
AeroVironment executives said the Army will use the company’s LOCUST X3 counter-drone system. The weapon uses a 30-kilowatt laser. It targets drones up to Group 3, which includes aircraft weighing up to 1,320 pounds.
John Garrity, AeroVironment’s vice president of directed-energy systems, said the company will deliver dozens of LOCUST X3 systems over the next few years. Additionally, initial capabilities are expected within a year.
The Army said directed-energy weapons can destroy drones at a lower cost per shot than many missiles. Because the system runs on electrical power, its firing capacity can regenerate as long as power remains available.
The E-HEL design uses a Modular Open Systems Approach with 11 major interfaces. That allows the Army to install upgrades and deploy the system from fixed sites, semi-fixed positions and mobile vehicles.
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AeroVironment expects the first systems to be mounted on Joint Light Tactical Vehicles and Infantry Squad Vehicles. Garrity said heavier platforms such as Strykers could follow.
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The LOCUST X3 is the third system in AeroVironment’s LOCUST family. Garrity said the company currently can produce systems at a rate in the 20s per year. Furthermore, he plans to increase capacity over the next 12 to 24 months.
General Christopher LaNeve, vice chief of staff of the Army, said the program is intended to give soldiers another way to defeat threats from unmanned aircraft.
