What is the LOCUST X3 directed energy weapon?: LOCUST X3 is AeroVironment's third-generation laser weapon, delivering 20–35+ kW and defeating Group 1–3 drones at approximately $5 per engagement. It was unveiled at AUSA Global Force in March 2026.Source: AeroVironment / Army Recognition
LOCUST X3 cost per shot compared to Patriot?: LOCUST X3 costs approximately $5 per engagement. A Patriot interceptor missile costs roughly $4 million — an 800,000:1 cost ratio in favour of directed energy.Source: AeroVironment
Is LOCUST X3 in production?: No. As of April 2026, LOCUST X3 has no production contract. AeroVironment describes it as combat-tested across prior generations but has not disclosed a procurement timeline.Source: AeroVironment
What is the LOCUST X3 laser and what drones can it shoot down?: LOCUST X3 is AeroVironment's third-generation directed-energy laser, delivering 20 to 35-plus kilowatts, capable of defeating Group 1 through Group 3 unmanned aircraft. It costs approximately $5 per engagement and was unveiled at AUSA Global Force in March 2026. AeroVironment delivered four units to the Army's RCCTO for formal EHEL evaluation in April 2026.Source: industry-report
Has LOCUST X3 won any Army contracts yet?: Not yet. LOCUST X3 is a confirmed entrant in the Army's Enduring High Energy Laser competition, with four units delivered to the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office in April 2026. The EHEL winner selection slipped from Q2 to Q4 FY26. No production contract has been awarded as of April 2026.Source: federal-government
Why is a $5 laser cheaper than a missile for shooting down drones?: A directed-energy weapon like LOCUST X3 uses electricity as its 'ammunition', drawing from a vehicle battery or generator. The marginal cost per shot is the electricity consumed, estimated at roughly $5. By contrast, a Patriot interceptor missile costs approximately $4 million per shot and is single-use. For drone swarms involving hundreds of cheap targets, the cost asymmetry heavily favours lasers.Source: industry-report
How does LOCUST X3 fit alongside the Army's $675 million Joint Laser Weapon System?: LOCUST X3 targets Group 1 to Group 3 drones at $5 per engagement. The JLWS, a 150-kilowatt laser with a $675.93 million Army-Navy commitment through FY2031, is designed against Cruise Missiles rather than small drones. The two programmes target different threat tiers and are complementary rather than competing.Source: industry-report
Who else is competing against LOCUST X3 in the EHEL competition?: Epirus is a confirmed EHEL competitor with its Leonidas AGV, an autonomous ground vehicle integrating high-power microwave counter-drone capability, revealed at AUSA Global Force in March 2026. Other laser developers active in the US counter-drone market include Northrop Grumman and DE-MSHORAD contractors. The EHEL winner will be selected in Q4 FY26.Source: industry-report

Background

LOCUST X3 is a modular directed-energy weapon unveiled by AeroVironment at the AUSA Global Force conference in Huntsville, Alabama on 25 March 2026. The third-generation laser system delivers 20 to 35-plus kilowatts, defeats Group 1 through Group 3 unmanned aircraft, and costs approximately $5 per engagement — contrasted with the $4 million cost of a Patriot interceptor missile.

In April 2026, AeroVironment delivered four LOCUST X3 units to the Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) for formal Enduring High Energy Laser (EHEL) evaluation, two mounted on Infantry Squad Vehicles and two on JLTVs. The EHEL competition winner selection slipped from Q2 to Q4 FY26, extending the evaluation timeline. No production contract has been awarded as of April 2026.

The system's debut coincided with two other directed-energy announcements in March 2026: Epirus's Leonidas AGV high-power microwave vehicle and the US Navy's confirmation that its shipboard ODIN laser saw combat during Operation Epic Fury. The convergence of three directed-energy systems reaching field readiness in a single month marks a structural shift in counter-drone economics — from expensive interceptor missiles to effectively unlimited-magazine energy weapons. The Army's separate $675.93 million Joint Laser Weapon System programme (28 April 2026, 150 kW, aimed at Cruise Missiles) sits above the Group 1–3 drone layer that LOCUST X3 targets, suggesting the two programmes are complementary rather than competing.

How the World Sees Them

Iran

Directed-energy systems with unlimited effective magazines eliminate the cost asymmetry that Iran's Shahed doctrine exploits. LOCUST X3's Group 1–3 coverage targets the specific drone categories Iran deployed in the Gulf.

US Army

LOCUST X3 addresses the cost-exchange crisis highlighted by Iran's drone campaign. At $5 per engagement versus $4 million for a Patriot, it could underwrite the Army E-HEL competition if it secures a production contract.

European NATO allies

European NATO members facing drone saturation attacks are watching the US directed-energy field closely. Cost-per-engagement under $10 changes force planning calculus for extended campaigns.