'It’s not unlike what they’re using at their own house for video games': US Army budgets $465 million for Group 3 Killer anti-drone laser which uses Xbox controller

Summary

The US Army awarded a 465 million dollar production contract to AeroVironment for its LOCUST X3 vehicle-mounted 30-kilowatt anti-drone laser system. The directed-energy weapon counters Group 3 unmanned aerial vehicles using an Xbox controller interface for targeting.

Key Takeaways

1. A new US Army contract worth around $465 million has been awarded to AeroVironment, Inc. for its LOCUST X3 anti-drone weapon, a 30-kilowatt laser that can be mounted on military vehicles.
2. Operators (which may be soldiers, sailors, airmen, or even Space Force guardians) can target the anti-drone laser using an Xbox controller.
3. Incredibly, this is the first high energy laser weapon to be awarded a production contract in US history, following several years in development, which included military testing.

Statement Breakdown

• Claimed Facts: 65% of statements the article presents as facts
• Opinions: 20% of statements classified as editorial or subjective
• Claims: 15% of statements surfaced for additional reader evaluation

Credibility & Bias Reasoning

Credibility assessment: The reporting relies directly on official corporate statements and named executive quotes from AeroVironment. Technical parameters and contract values reflect formal military procurement disclosures. Minor unsourced claims regarding interceptor missile stockpiles slightly reduce the overall factual grounding.

Bias assessment: Defense Tech Enthusiast. The coverage frames military hardware with enthusiastic tone descriptors such as apex predator. AeroVironment executives provide the primary perspective without independent tactical or fiscal critique. The narrative emphasizes capability advances over procurement debate.

Note: Contract awards and technical specs match manufacturer disclosures; strategic stockpile assertions remain unverified.

Credibility flag: Sourced Defense Report

Claimed Facts (5)

• Verifiable company ownership and development attribution.
• Specifies formal contract valuation and hardware power output.
• Provides official Department of Defense classification parameters.
• States the specific commercial controller hardware selected for weapon guidance.
• References documented operational engagements in regional conflict zones.

Opinions (3)

• Expresses a subjective assessment regarding system ease of use.
• Executive qualitative interpretation of organizational progress and partnership.
• Informal corporate characterization of defensive combat performance.

Claims (5)

• Contains an unsourced, sweeping assertion concerning military strategic stockpile status.
• Uses unverified superlative framing without qualifying past developmental directed-energy contracts.
• Presents an ungrounded general consensus label without naming defense analysts.
• Employs marketing rhetoric rather than objective capability metrics.
• Claims superior range relative to competing systems without citing specific comparative benchmarks.

Key Sources

• Wahid Nawabi — Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer at AeroVironment
• Aaron Westman — Senior Director for Business Development at AeroVironment
• John Garrity — Vice President of Directed Energy Systems at AeroVironment
• Christian Cawley — Author, TechRadar
• US Army — Military Branch, US Department of Defense