U.S. Army awards AV $464.8 million laser weapon deal

The US Army awarded defense contractor AeroVironment a $464.8 million contract to produce high-energy laser weapons. This deal falls under the Enduring High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program, the Army's first formal directed energy program of record. AeroVironment will deliver 26 LOCUST X3 laser weapons, each with 30 kilowatt power. The acquisition follows a successful late August operation near the Mexican border, where the Army used the laser weapon to down three drones on American soil.