US Army Uses 20-Kilowatt Laser to Shoot Down Three Drones Near US-Mexico Border
The US Army shot down three drones near the US-Mexico border with a 20-kilowatt laser, Ars Technica reported.
Authorities confirmed that the laser weapon employed during the operation was derived from the Army’s High-Energy Multipurpose Laser (AMP-HEL) system, a military program focused on implementing high-energy lasers for new defense capabilities. The report said the initiative began in September 2025, when defense technology company AeroVironment delivered the first two functional prototypes of the laser weapons to the US Armed Forces. Two improved systems were delivered in December of the same year as the program expanded.
AeroVironment calls the platform the Locust Laser Weapon System. The company says it is designed to be mounted on military vehicles, and the Army has used the versions it received in that configuration.