High-energy laser system tested for counter-UAS operations by AeroVironment
NewsMay 07, 2026
ARLINGTON, Virginia. AeroVironment’s LOCUST high-energy laser system completed a counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico in coordination with Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the company announced in a statement.
The test took place in early March and was led by Joint Interagency Task Force 401, with the system evaluated in connection with U.S. Department of War and FAA work on national airspace safety, the statement reads.
During the event, LOCUST demonstrated automated safety shut-off features intended to restrict engagement to validated targets, according to the company. The test also evaluated the system’s effects on civilian aircraft during controlled scenarios and used target-identification procedures before engagement, the company says.
AeroVironment states that LOCUST engaged both stationary and airborne targets during the White Sands event. The company also says the test supports the system’s potential use in layered air-defense architectures that combine sensors, battle management tools, and effectors to detect, track, and defeat aerial threats.
LOCUST is part of AeroVironment’s Halo_Shield offering, a layered defense architecture aimed at countering aerial threats, the statement adds.
