U.S. Counter-Drone ProcurementU.S. Counter-Drone ProcurementCoverage from Yahoo, Newstarget, and others
00/00/0000
DailyWeekly
U.
S. counter-drone procurement brings together military acquisition programs, defense suppliers, and the technologies used to detect and defeat unmanned aircraft. A prominent example is the Army’s Enduring High Energy Laser program, under which AeroVironment’s 30-kilowatt LOCUST X3 is being moved toward production for vehicle-mounted and palletized deployments. The broader subject also includes kinetic interceptors, networked detection, platform integration, manufacturing capacity, and the effort to match affordable defenses to threats such as Group 3 drones and swarm attacks.
It broadens the route beyond directed energy with a separate counter-UAS procurement focused on sensor-based detection and tracking.
The Defense Post / Christine Casimiro
Key Numbers
$464.8 million USD
contract value
first production models of LOCUST X3
“The Army awarded AeroVironment a $464.8 million contract for the first production models of the LOCUST X3, a drone-killing laser weapon developed under the Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program.”
Stars and Stripes and 3 other articles
30-kilowatt kilowatts
laser power
“The LOCUST X3 is the third LOCUST system in AV’s catalog and is designed to take down drone threats up to Group 3 using a 30-kilowatt laser. Group 3 drones weigh up to 1,320 pounds.”
Breaking Defense and 1 other article
1,320 pounds
maximum weight of Group 3 drones
Group 3 classification
“The LOCUST X3 is the third LOCUST system in AV’s catalog and is designed to take down drone threats up to Group 3 using a 30-kilowatt laser. Group 3 drones weigh up to 1,320 pounds.”
Breaking Defense
$150,000 per drone
cost of drones used against Western militaries and border installations
roughly
“AeroVironment chairman and CEO Wahid Nawabi told CNBC that drones used against Western militaries and border installations can cost roughly $150,000 each, while traditional interceptors may cost millions per shot. He said AeroVironment’s LOCUST directed-energy laser reduces the engagement cost to less than $10 per shot.”
AOL
less than $10 per shot
LOCUST engagement cost
“AeroVironment chairman and CEO Wahid Nawabi told CNBC that drones used against Western militaries and border installations can cost roughly $150,000 each, while traditional interceptors may cost millions per shot. He said AeroVironment’s LOCUST directed-energy laser reduces the engagement cost to less than $10 per shot.”
AOL
Looking Back
128 Day Timeline
Articles published over time. Hover any bar for the period and its article count.
May 15
Jun 5
Jun 26
Jul 17
Aug 7
Aug 28
Sep 18
The Story So Far
No material change
No new-member articles were supplied, so there is no evidence of a material change since the prior state.
Previously
The U.S. Army is moving AeroVironment counter-drone systems from testing toward procurement, led by the LOCUST X3 laser and supported by Titan sensing, electronic warfare, kinetic interceptors, and command software. International orders and expanded Albuquerque production indicate a broader commercialization effort.
History
09/26/2026
The story now includes a separate Navy counter-drone selection: L3Harris's VAMPIRE for littoral defense. It also clarifies that earlier LOCUST systems had already reached Army prototyping, testing, and training.
AeroVironment CEO Wahid Nawabi said LOCUST laser counter-UAS intercepted drones during a maritime USS George H.W. Bush demonstration after Q4 earnings beat expectations.
6/30/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
The U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a $464.8 million contract for the LOCUST X3 counter-drone laser on August 7, targeting Group 3 drones including Iran's Shahed-136.
9/8/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
On September 2, 2026, the US Army awarded AeroVironment a $464.8 million agreement in the United States to produce LOCUST X3 laser systems for countering drones.
9/7/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The U.S. Army awarded Albuquerque-based AeroVironment a $464.8 million contract for LOCUST X3 counter-drone lasers intended for Group 3 unmanned aircraft.
9/4/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
In a recent agreement, the U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment $464.8 million to produce LOCUST X3 laser systems for counter-drone defense in the United States.
9/2/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
AeroVironment received an $80.5 million JIATF-401 award for Titan MS under Domestic Shield to expand counter-UAS protection for defense-critical sites.
7/6/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a 500 million contract on July 1, 2026, for LOCUST X3 laser, Titan RF jamming, and Freedom Eagle kinetic counter-UAS systems through 2029.
7/3/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
AeroVironment won a $500 million U.S. Army contract in the 2020s to deliver three-year layered counter-UAS defenses against Group 1-3 small drones for troops and bases.
7/2/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The U.S. Navy selected L3Harris Technologies' VAMPIRE system to counter hostile drones at littoral installations in the United States and other maritime operating environments.
9/18/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
AeroVironment secured a more than $50 million international LOCUST order, expanding deployment of its laser counter-drone system beyond the United States.
9/9/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
AeroVironment will produce LOCUST X3 directed-energy counter-drone systems under a $464.8 million U.S. Army contract over the next several years in the United States.
9/19/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
In 2026, AeroVironment is expanding LOCUST directed-energy counter-drone operations in the United States as military and border users seek cheaper interceptors.
9/11/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
AeroVironment CEO Wahid Nawabi tied record fiscal 2026 sales to Ukraine and Iran-driven demand for military drones, loitering munitions, and counter-drone systems after the BlueHalo acquisition.
7/1/2026 • Market, Companies & Supply Chain • General
The U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a $464.8 million contract in the United States for LOCUST X3 lasers to counter drones threatening troops and partner forces in the Middle East.
9/6/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
AeroVironment reported stronger fiscal first-quarter drone operations and new counter-drone contracts on August 1, with results generated primarily through U.S. defense programs.
9/10/2026 • Market, Companies & Supply Chain • General
AeroVironment reported fiscal 2027 first-quarter growth in the United States as drone revenue, bookings, and government counter-drone contracts increased.
9/10/2026 • Market, Companies & Supply Chain • General
AeroVironment reported strong fiscal 2026 growth and received a $464.8 million U.S. Army contract while competition intensified across tactical drone markets.
9/4/2026 • Market, Companies & Supply Chain • General
The U.S. Army awarded Griffon Aerospace up to $133 million on August 10 at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, for Outlaw aerial target systems and support through 2026.
8/26/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
AeroVironment and Applied Intuition announced a U.S. military teaming agreement to integrate Acuity ISR/Strike with Mayhem 10 for autonomous swarm operations.
7/29/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
AEVEX Corp. announced a $41 million award on Thursday in California to supply unidentified American government customers with autonomous one-way attack systems.
8/21/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
Teledyne FLIR Defense will supply Argus XL counter-UAS platforms to AeroVironment for U.S. Air Force domestic installation and critical infrastructure protection.
7/29/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a $500 million counter-drone contract on July 1, 2026, with delivery work estimated to finish by June 29, 2029, via Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal.
7/2/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The Pentagon awarded Perennial Autonomy a $500 million Counter-UAS contract in 2020s procurement, coordinating via Joint Interagency Task Force 401 for AI interceptor systems.
5/25/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The Defense Department FY27 budget request allocates $994 million for Army small cUAS procurement, including Freedom Eagle-1 NGCM and Enduring High Energy Laser systems.
5/15/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Autonomous Guard received a follow-up $400,000 counter-UAS order in Asia, including Skybeam detection, jamming, and interception systems for Q4 2026 delivery.
7/28/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
AeroVironment outlined fiscal 2027 drone, loitering munition, and counter-UAS production plans during an earnings call, citing federal budget timing as the driver of back-half weighted results.
6/30/2026 • Market, Companies & Supply Chain • General
AI Governance
Data Centers
Drones
Climate
Privacy
2026 Maine Senate
Bob Dylan
