The company cited attacks involving Shahed-series one-way drones against energy facilities, airports, military sites and other infrastructure in the region. Launching such drones in large numbers can make them harder to detect and intercept and drive up the cost of defending against them, AeroVironment said.
AeroVironment says the LOCUST X3 can engage a target at a fraction of what it costs to use a conventional missile interceptor. Available power and cooling are the main limits on repeated use, and the system can engage successive targets without conventional ammunition resupply.
“This landmark award reflects growing recognition that directed energy is essential to modern layered air defense,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “LOCUST X3 changes the economics of defeating drones while preserving traditional interceptors for higher-end threats.”
AeroVironment plans to set up a maintenance depot in the customer’s country to handle repairs, technical support and training. The company said the depot would shorten maintenance response times and support the systems throughout their service lives.
