U.S. Army receives truck-mounted LOCUST laser weapons

23 Dec 2025

AeroVironment delivers 20kW-class lasers with a larger aperture beam director on tactical vehicles.

U.S. Army truck-mounted mobile C-UAS laser weapon system.

AeroVironment (“AV”), a developer of counter-unmanned aircraft system technologies, has announced the successful delivery of two Joint Light Tactical Vehicle-mounted mobile C-UAS Laser Weapon Systems (LWS) to the U.S. Army as part of the second increment of the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) prototyping effort.

These systems were delivered to the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, now integrated into the Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires, reflecting the Army’s ongoing transformation and acquisition reform efforts.

In September 2025, AV announced delivery of the first increment of AMP-HEL prototype systems – two LOCUST LWS integrated on the General Motors Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle platform. This second-increment system on the Oshkosh JLTV platform features the same 20kW-class LOCUST LWS with a larger aperture beam director – “improving lethality performance,” said the AV statement.

‘Modular laser weapon’

“AV continues to deliver proven, efficient, modular laser weapon systems that perform and protect in real-world threat environments,” said Mary Clum, President, Space, Cyber & Directed Energy for AV. “Integrated as part of these AMP-HEL systems, LOCUST is a cost-effective, rugged, precise, and scalable solution that is addressing the ever-evolving UAS threats our warfighters are facing on frontlines today.”

AV delivered its first LOCUST LWS to RCCTO as part of the Palletized-High Energy Laser (P-HEL) program in 2022. With more than three years of operational deployment outside the United States, these LWS have demonstrated high operational availability rates for prototype systems after first generation lessons learned informed necessary improvements now supporting current technology development efforts.

“Directed energy is no longer a future concept – it is a proven force-protection capability,” said John Garrity, Vice President of AV’s Directed Energy business unit. “Since deployed, LOCUST-equipped P-HEL systems have actively protected warfighters, allies, and critical infrastructure against aerial threats.

“With LOCUST’s target acquisition, tracking and precision beam control, warfighters have an easy-to-use, reliable, trusted, and proven solution against the very real and evolving threats of modern warfare.”

Designed to be platform-agnostic and rapidly deployable, AV’s directed-energy systems integrate seamlessly with Army command-and-control architectures, providing a critical C-UAS capability that protects Soldiers and assets across a wide range of missions and environments.

These systems have been successfully integrated in fixed-site base defense systems and on maneuverable platforms, including the ISV and JLTV, and mounted on the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle for increased mobility.