GLOBAL FORCE 2026 — Virginia-based defense firm AeroVironment (AV) 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.
The system uses a 20-30 kw laser along with “AI-enabled detection, tracking and engagement automation” run by an AV software platform, according to a company press release. It can be used mounted on vehicles or from fixed positions, AV says.
Aaron Westman, senior director of business development at AV, told Breaking Defense at the AUSA Global Force in Alabama that the latest incarnation of LOCUST was informed by real-world demands.
“The earlier versions of LOCUST were developed and fielded, and we put them in the hands of soldiers, we got a lot…
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Source breakingdefense.com
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