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U.S. Army Takes Delivery of First JLTV-Mounted LOCUST High-Energy Laser Counter-Drone System.
The U.S. Army has taken delivery of its first JLTV-mounted LOCUST high-energy laser counter-drone systems from AeroVironment under the AMP-HEL program. The move signals that directed-energy air defense is transitioning from experimentation into deployable protection for frontline maneuver units.
On December 18, 2025, AeroVironment (AV) announced it had delivered two Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)-mounted LOCUST Laser Weapon Systems to the U.S. Army under the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) prototyping effort. The systems, handed over to the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO), now integrated into the Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires, represent the second increment of AMP-HEL and the first fielding of LOCUST on the Oshkosh-built JLTV platform. In an era where inexpensive drones and loitering munitions are reshaping battlefields from Eastern Europe to the Middle East, the ability to mount a high-energy laser on a widely deployed tactical vehicle directly addresses a growing gap in close-in air defense. The announcement, published on AV’s official website, underlines that directed energy has shifted from technology demonstrator to operational counter-UAS tool the U.S. Army intends to integrate into its maneuver formations.
The U.S. Army has taken delivery of its first JLTV-mounted LOCUST high-energy laser systems, marking a shift toward mobile, vehicle-based counter-drone defense for frontline units (Picture Source: AeroVironment)
The JLTV-mounted AMP-HEL configuration integrates a 20 kW-class LOCUST Laser Weapon System with a larger-aperture beam director, improving lethality performance compared to the earlier ISV-based increment. LOCUST is characterized by AV as a modular, efficient laser weapon system that can be adapted to multiple platforms, aligning with the Army’s push for flexible and scalable counter-UAS solutions. Designed to be platform-agnostic and rapidly deployable, the system fits into the Army’s existing command-and-control architectures and can be used in fixed-site and mobile roles. On the JLTV, this package benefits from the vehicle’s off-road mobility, protection and exportable power, allowing the Army to push laser-based counter-drone coverage forward with maneuver units rather than keeping it confined to fixed sites or heavy trucks.
The current AMP-HEL increment builds on several years of LOCUST development and operational use. AV delivered its first LOCUST LWS to RCCTO in 2022 as part of the Palletized High Energy Laser (P-HEL) program, which has since seen more than three years of operational deployment outside the United States. According to the company, those deployed systems have demonstrated very high operational availability for prototypes and have been employed in real-world combat, performing their mission against unmanned aircraft system threats. Lessons learned from these first-generation deployments informed improvements that now support the technology integrated on AMP-HEL, including the JLTV-mounted configuration. In this sense, the new increment represents an evolution of a system already exposed to combat conditions rather than a clean-sheet laboratory demonstrator.
At the tactical level, mounting LOCUST on the JLTV gives Army commanders a highly responsive, low-collateral counter-drone option that can keep pace with mechanized and light forces. The JLTV-mounted systems delivered under the Army’s Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) effort use the 20 kW-class LOCUST laser with a larger aperture beam director, improving lethality against unmanned aerial threats. Its gimbaled electro-optical payload, multi-target search-and-track modes and high-bandwidth video allow operators to follow small, fast-moving quadcopters or fixed-wing drones in cluttered environments, while the laser delivers precise energy on target without fragmentation or unexploded ordnance.
Designed for single-operator use with a game-controller-style interface, LOCUST reduces training time and workload, critical for units already saturated with sensors and radios. Because its “magazine” is the vehicle’s electrical power rather than physical munitions, the system can engage large numbers of small UAS, a capability proven in operational deployments outside the United States over more than three years with high availability rates and successful real-world intercepts. In a battlespace where adversaries experiment with swarming tactics and one-way attack drones, that combination of deep magazine, low cost per shot and precise effects offers a different kind of staying power than man-portable missiles or gun-based systems.
Militarily and geostrategically, the JLTV-mounted LOCUST systems signal that the U.S. Army is moving from isolated laser demonstrations toward a layered architecture in which directed energy sits alongside radio-frequency and kinetic effectors. AV’s portfolio already includes RF-based systems such as the Titan family and other C-UAS capabilities, while the Army is separately pursuing its Enduring High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program of record for higher-power systems intended to protect larger formations and fixed sites. AMP-HEL, by comparison, provides a small-unit and brigade-level option: light enough to ride on vehicles like the ISV and JLTV, interoperable with existing command-and-control networks, and sufficiently mature to deploy into operational theaters. In strategic terms, that creates a visible answer to the drone saturation tactics seen from Russian, Iranian and non-state actors, while also giving the United States a demonstrable technology base it can share – under policy constraints – with allies looking for similar mobile counter-UAS solutions. It also underscores the role of RCCTO, now embedded in the Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires, as a bridge that takes experimental systems like P-HEL and drives them toward scalable capabilities.
From a budget and acquisition perspective, the JLTV-mounted LOCUST systems remain in the prototyping phase under AMP-HEL, and the press release does not disclose contract values or per-system costs. The focus, as presented by AV and the Army, is on demonstrating performance, reliability and integration with existing command-and-control networks, as well as refining the technology based on operational experience. AV also stresses that, with the technology now proven in real-world deployments, the company is concentrating on advancing capabilities while scaling manufacturing to meet growing demand. This suggests a trajectory from limited prototype quantities toward potential larger-scale procurement once the Army finalizes its requirements and pathways for directed-energy integration into its force structure.
The delivery of JLTV-mounted LOCUST Laser Weapon Systems therefore marks more than the arrival of another prototype; it reflects a maturing family of laser systems that have already been exposed to combat, a manufacturer positioning itself to scale production, and an Army that increasingly treats directed energy as an operationally relevant part of its counter-UAS toolkit. If AMP-HEL continues to perform as described and transitions beyond prototyping, tactical vehicles equipped with high-energy lasers alongside missiles and guns could become a familiar feature of U.S. ground-based air defense in the years ahead.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.