US Army Fast-Tracks Directed Energy Procurement to Counter Drone Cost Imbalance
The military is pivoting toward $3-per-shot laser systems to offset the high cost of intercepting low-cost attack drones.
The U.S. Army is accelerating its acquisition cycle for directed-energy weapons, targeting a formal production decision by the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 to address the mounting economic disparity in drone warfare.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll recently reviewed the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) program at White Sands Missile Range, where he tested the LOCUST laser system integrated into a General Motors Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV). The visit underscores a shift from experimental technology to a standardized procurement strategy aimed at fielding 24 initial systems to combat unmanned aerial threats.
The drive toward high-energy lasers is primarily dictated by the exhaustion of traditional munitions budgets. While conventional short-range interceptors cost between $50,000 and $400,000 per shot, and Patriot missiles reach $4 million, AeroVironment’s LOCUST system operates at approximately $3 per engagement. This cost-per-shot advantage is viewed by defense officials as the only sustainable method for neutralizing mass-produced one-way attack drones, which typically cost between $20,000 and $50,000.
Industrial delivery of the prototypes is already underway. AeroVironment delivered the first two ISV-mounted LOCUST units to the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office in September 2025. An additional two units, integrated into Oshkosh Defense’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV), were delivered in December 2025. These later models feature larger beam director apertures designed to extend effective engagement ranges.
The LOCUST system generates a 20-kilowatt continuous-wave laser, capable of inducing structural failure in small drones within seconds. Its modular, open-architecture design allows for integration across multiple vehicle platforms, a key requirement for the Army’s rapid deployment goals.
Despite the procurement momentum, the Army maintains that directed energy is a component of a layered defense rather than a standalone solution. Operational constraints, including performance degradation in rain, fog, or dust, and the system’s inability to engage multiple simultaneous targets, mean the lasers will be deployed alongside kinetic interceptors, electronic jamming equipment, and proximity-fused missiles.
As the Army moves toward its 2026 production milestone, the focus remains on refining the industrial manufacturing capacity required to sustain a fleet of high-energy laser systems in active combat environments.
