AeroVironment has announced a successful demonstration of its palletized LOCUST® Laser Weapon System (LWS) aboard the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), marking a significant milestone in shipborne counter-drone defense technology.
What Is the LOCUST® Laser Weapon System?
The LOCUST® LWS is a directed-energy counter-UAS (C-UAS) solution developed by AeroVironment, a major player in both unmanned aerial systems and defense technology. The system is designed in a palletized configuration, meaning it can be deployed and repositioned aboard naval vessels without permanent installation — a critical advantage for fleet flexibility.
Directed-energy weapons like this laser system represent a growing area of investment for the U.S. military, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional kinetic interceptors when countering the rising threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles and drone swarms.
Demonstration Aboard a Nimitz-Class Carrier
The live demonstration took place in October 2025 aboard the USS George H.W. Bush, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier and one of the U.S. Navy's most capable capital ships. Conducting the test on an active carrier signals that the technology is being evaluated under realistic operational conditions rather than controlled land-based environments.
The palletized design of the LOCUST® LWS is particularly noteworthy. By avoiding permanent deck integration, the Navy retains the ability to outfit multiple vessels with the system as mission requirements demand — a force-multiplying approach that aligns with current naval doctrine around modular, adaptable ship configurations.
Why Shipborne C-UAS Matters Now
The threat landscape at sea has shifted dramatically in recent years. Low-cost commercial and military-grade drones have demonstrated the ability to threaten even sophisticated naval assets, as evidenced by conflicts in the Black Sea and the Red Sea, where drone and missile combinations have challenged traditional naval defenses.
Laser-based C-UAS systems offer several operational advantages over conventional countermeasures:
- Near-zero cost per engagement compared to missile-based intercepts
- Deep magazine depth — limited only by power generation capacity
- Speed-of-light targeting that makes evasion by small UAS extremely difficult
- Reduced collateral risk in maritime environments compared to explosive interceptors
AeroVironment's Expanding Defense Portfolio
Best known in the drone community for systems like the Switchblade loitering munition and the Raven small UAS, AeroVironment has been steadily expanding into directed-energy and counter-drone technology. The LOCUST® LWS demonstration reinforces the company's positioning as a full-spectrum UAV and C-UAS solutions provider for U.S. and allied defense customers.
As drone threats continue to evolve — from individual commercial quadcopters to coordinated swarm attacks — shipborne laser systems like the LOCUST® LWS are likely to become an increasingly standard component of naval air defense architecture.