The U.S. Army has shifted toward adopting a modular laser that can be mounted on standard trucks, instead of using dedicated vehicles built for laser weapons. AeroVironment won an initial low-rate production contract in September for its 30-kilowatt laser weapon, the LOCUST X3, IT outlet TechRadar reported on Thursday local time.

The LOCUST X3 is designed to shoot down Group 1 to 3 drones weighing about 9 kg to 600 kg. The cost per engagement is less than $10, according to AeroVironment. An industry report in March put it at $5, but the company has never disclosed a detailed calculation. Power output is 20 to 35 kW depending on the mission, and its in-house AI system, Halo Pinpoint, handles detection, tracking and engagement.

The U.S. Army restarted an air defence battalion in 2022 at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, to operate Stryker vehicles equipped with lasers, but changed course due to reliability issues. The new approach mounts the laser on a removable frame that can be transferred between vehicles. Even if the truck carrying it goes in for maintenance, the weapon can be moved to another truck and keep operating.

Kirk Williams (커크 윌리엄스), chief engineer at the Army's direct energy project office, stressed that maintenance and repairs must be easy for battlefield use, while saying system reliability has reached a sufficient level. Guy Yelverton (가이 옐버턴), the Army's programme executive officer for combat support and combat service support, said, "Every vehicle in the parking lot is a target."

There are also limitations. A single laser weapon can engage only 1 drone at a time, and the laser beam's power weakens exponentially as distance increases. Smoke, dust and bad weather also reduce effectiveness. It can fire for about 80 to 120 seconds on battery power and must be recharged when the battery runs out. At 30 kW, its output is on the weaker side for laser weapons, so the LOCUST X3's main mission is intercepting small drones.

The U.S. Army plans to field the LOCUST X3 as early as early 2028. Separately, it is also pursuing a 150-kilowatt containerised high-power laser.

The contract for introducing the LOCUST X3 is worth $464.8 million. AeroVironment also won its first overseas order worth more than $50 million on Oct. 8. AeroVironment and the U.S. Army claim they carried out multiple real-world tests, including drone interceptions near the southern border in August, but no detailed engagement data has been disclosed.