The first directed energy weapon selected by the U.S. Army for the Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program could be out of testing and ready for counter-drone operations by early 2028, Army officials told Military Times at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting in Washington.
“We would love to be able to keep the first unit off the line for our testing and training. However, what we’ve seen is, with the environment as it is, everything that we produce as a capable counter-UAS system tends to get deployed somewhere,” said Kirk Williams, chief engineer at the U.S. Army Directed Energy Project Office.
In September, the Army awarded AeroVironment a $464.8 million contract for LOCUST X3, its modular, palletized high-energy laser system. Earlier generations of the LOCUST system are actively fielded in operational environments, including at the U.S. southern border, according to AeroVironment. The first LOCUST X3 is slated for delivery by Q4 of FY 2027 and will be mounted on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
The goal is to push it through testing, validation, verification and “give it to soldiers as soon as possible,” said Brig. Gen. Guy Yelverton, capability program executive for Defensive Fires. “My far-down point would be spring [2028], and if I could get in the December-January timeframe, that would be awesome. That would be a great win for the Army.”
It is unclear where the first high-energy counter-drone weapons under H-ELS will be deployed. Yelverton suggested the 7th Infantry Division could be a potential partner.
Deputy commanding officer of Support for the 7th Infantry Division, Col. Charles Kean, described directed-energy weapons as a component of defense against high-echelon air threats, including individual UAS or formations, but said they were not a “single bullet” solution.
“The more capabilities we put in the hands of soldiers, the easier they are to maintain, the more reliable they are, the better,” Kean told an audience at AUSA’s Warriors Corner.
The Army successfully demonstrated eight kills using the directed energy platform prototype during the Army Modernization Day in October.
The palletized, modular solutions can be integrated onto a number of vehicles, including the JLTV and Infantry Squad Vehicle, or ISV.
The modular system will improve reliability and sustainability by making it possible for soldiers to perform field-level maintenance, according to Williams. It will also allow the Army to “continuously improve the system over time” without replacing the full unit.
The counter-drone E-HEL contract is for more than 26 laser weapons units total, according to AeroVironment vice president of Directed Energy, John Garrity, who indicated the initial system is on target for 2027 delivery.
“We were able to lean forward with a lot of the long-lead procurements early, so we’re ramping up for production,” Garrity told Military Times. “Because drones aren’t getting any slower and our adversaries aren’t getting any lazier with them.”
Directed energy weapons are one of the capabilities the Army is pursuing at speed to counter the growing threat of low-cost, unmanned aircraft systems.
During an earlier speech at AUSA, Secretary of the Army Adam Telle highlighted the need to field low-cost interceptors to shoot down missiles and drones. Telle hailed the Army’s work to streamline acquisition and get soldiers the gear they need.
