AeroVironment's LOCUST is a high-energy laser counter-drone system designed to neutralise small unmanned aircraft. The system achieved a 75% reduction in cartel drone flights over the Rio Grande Valley and has secured international orders valued at over $50 million.
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Airframe / lift type | Fixed-wing |
| Control / autonomy level | Fully autonomous (human-off-the-loop, AI-navigated), Swarm / cooperative |
| Domain | Aerial (UAV/UAS) |
| Mission / use case – military | ISR, Loitering munition (one-way attack) |
| Origin / supply chain | Military-grade |
| Propulsion | Electric (LiPo / Li-ion) |
| Range / endurance | Close range (5–50 km, 1–6 hrs) |
| Signature / detectability | RCS – small, RF-emitting |
| Speed regime | Medium (50–150 km/h) |
| Strike depth / operational role | Decoy / saturation (cheap airframes to exhaust air defence) |
| Threat vector | Swarm / saturation |
| Weight / class | Class I – Mini (2–20 kg) |
| Confidence | low |