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(Bloomberg) — The US Army will buy at least $400 million worth of counter-drone lasers from AeroVironment Inc., according to a person familiar with the matter, as militaries seek ways to knock down the unmanned systems proliferating across modern battlefields.
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The contract with Arlington, Virginia-based AeroVironment will provide the Army with dozens of the firm’s Locust system, the person said. The deal would represent the Pentagon’s first production contract for a directed energy counter-drone system beyond the prototype phase.
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An AeroVironment spokesperson declined to comment.
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The AI-assisted Locust system tracks, identifies and helps human operators destroy small- to medium-sized drones with a high-energy laser.
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The almost half-billion dollar contract is another sign the Pentagon is seeking more affordable and sustainable ways of downing possibly scores of small to medium-sized drones, particularly as the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran put pressure on US stocks of expensive, hard-to-replace interceptors.
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An AeroVironment promotional video of the system shows it tracking and locking onto unmanned aerial drones, with the laser appearing to create a bright flame on the devices before they disintegrate or tumble from the sky. It shows operators — huddled around various screens with video feeds and data — including one man in a beanie who is using what looks like a video game controller.
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In addition to counter drone systems, the Pentagon is also trying to field more offensive drones, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directing the department last year to pursue “drone dominance” by accelerating and expanding the production of US military drones.
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Earlier this year, the Locust system was at the heart of a minor controversy when the weapon was being tested near the Mexico border and ended up prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to close the airspace in El Paso, Texas.
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During testing, the device inadvertently targeted and shot down a drone flown by US Customs and Border Protection personnel on the Texas border with Mexico, according to people familiar with the matter at the time.
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