As Iran and Russia deploy thousands of inexpensive kamikaze drones, the U.S. defense industry is seeking a cost-effective solution. AeroVironment (AV) introduced the LOCUST X3, the third generation of its energy weapon system that destroys drones at the speed of light for under $5 per engagement.
The X3 is the most advanced version of the LOCUST platform. While the original LOCUST used a 20-kilowatt laser, the X3 delivers between 20 and over 35 kilowatts with a wider beam aperture for extended range.
It targets unmanned aerial systems from Group 1 to Group 3, including small commercial quadcopters and fixed-wing drones weighing up to 1,320 pounds, as well as unmanned surface vessels.
Built around soldier feedback
The X3 was not developed in isolation. In an interview with Breaking Defense, AV’s senior director of business development, Aaron Westman, said that the new variant is based on direct feedback gathered from soldiers.
The system was specifically designed with high-volume threats like Iran’s Shahed-136 and Russia’s Geran-2 in mind — drones that are cheap to produce and difficult to counter economically with traditional interceptor missiles.
The cost difference is key to the X3’s appeal. A single Patriot interceptor costs about $3 million, and an AIM-9X Sidewinder is around $400,000. Compared to a $20,000 Shahed drone, those costs don’t add up for large-scale defense.
Westman highlighted that the X3 offers cost-effective engagements below $5 per shot and sustained defense without the reload limitations of traditional defense systems.
How it works
The X3 uses AV’s proprietary AV_Halo PINPOINT fire control software to automate detection, tracking, and targeting, which reduces the operator’s workload.
The system locks onto moving aerial targets and keeps the energy focused during engagement. It usually takes five to seven seconds of beam time to destroy a drone.
Safety is built into the engagement logic. The system uses a multi-vote command architecture that requires several internal checks before firing, including a safeguard that prevents the laser from discharging if a civilian aircraft overlaps with the beam path.
The beam also has a defined focus point beyond which it rapidly dissipates, preventing uncontrolled energy propagation. Both safety features were tested by JIATF 401 and the FAA at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico under the Army’s AMP-HEL prototyping program.
The X3 features a modular, open-architecture design that follows the Department of Defense’s Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA). This means it can be installed on many types of vehicles and fixed platforms, including the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and the Infantry Squad Vehicle, which have already used earlier LOCUST systems.
Competing for a major Army contract
The X3’s unveiling comes ahead of an important procurement decision. The U.S. Army’s Enduring High Energy Laser program (E-HEL) plans to decide in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026, with an initial need for 24 systems.
AeroVironment has already delivered four LOCUST systems to the Army—two on Infantry Squad Vehicles and two on JLTVs—through the AMP-HEL prototyping effort, making it a leading contender.
AeroVironment is also participating in the Army’s broader AMP-HEL prototype program and is competing alongside other directed energy firms.
On the same day as the X3 unveiling, a General Dynamics-led team separately unveiled a mobile microwave-based counter-drone platform — underscoring how crowded and urgent the laser and directed-energy counter-UAS market has become.
Westman acknowledged that the X3 has not yet been tested as a fully integrated system, but confirmed all subsystems have been individually validated, with complete system testing expected within months.