Directed energy C-UAS system has upcoming testing with U.S. Army, Navy
NewsOctober 16, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. BlueHalo’s Locust counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) laser weapon system has upcoming tests scheduled with the U.S. Army for use on a Stryker vehicle, and the company is in talks with the U.S. Navy to test the system aboard a ship in early 2025, officials with BlueHalo and Leonardo DRS told Military Embedded Systems at the Association of the United States Army's (AUSA) annual meeting on Wednesday.
Leonardo DRS featured a Stryker vehicle on the trade show floor with a version of the Locust system mounted on the rear of the vehicle. The system targets drones and allows the operator to fire a laser that disables the drone. While the U.S. Army currently has no formal requirements for directed energy systems on Stryker vehicles, the system will be demonstrated on a vehicle for the Army later this year, the officials say.
BlueHalo’s directed energy solution is one component of a multi-layered approach the company has developed for counter-UAS operations, which was a hot topic at AUSA with many companies offering C-UAS solutions. Alongside directed energy, BlueHalo's strategy includes the Titan radio frequency system, which focuses on non-kinetic electronic warfare, and the Freedom Eagle kinetic missile for hard-kill capabilities, all of which were showcased at their booth. This layered defense system aims to offer flexibility to military forces dealing with various UAS threats, ranging from small drones to more advanced, larger platforms.
BlueHalo's upcoming trials are part of a broader movement within the Department of Defense to explore directed energy weapons as a scalable and potentially cost-effective solution for future conflicts, especially given the increasing deployment of UAS in modern combat.
