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Directed energy · Land

LOCUST

AeroVironment (formerly BlueHalo) modular laser weapon for countering small drones.

by AeroVironment

Directed energyLandUpgradeMar 24, 2026
A containerized LOCUST laser weapon system on the flight deck of USS George H.W. Bush

Photo: U.S. Navy / Chief Petty Officer Brian Brooks · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Navy) · Resized and reencoded as WebP; no additional crop or retouching. Credit retained for factual editorial product coverage.

Modular high-energy laser counter-drone system developed by BlueHalo, now part of AeroVironment, for vehicle-mounted or fixed-site use; the third-generation LOCUST X3 was revealed in March 2026.

Timeline1

  1. UpgradeReported

    LOCUST X3 unveiled at AUSA Global Force

    The third-generation variant uses a 20-30 kW laser with AI-enabled detection, tracking and engagement.

    SourcesBreaking Defense

Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.

Sources1

  1. 1.
    NewsAV unveils LOCUST X3, latest entrant into laser counter-drone race

    Breaking Defense · Mar 24, 2026 · Supports: System, System milestone

    “revealed the LOCUST X3 counter-small unmanned aerial systems (C-sUAS) platform today, designed to take out small- to medium-sized drones with a laser.”

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