U.S. Navy Tests Anti-Drone Laser Weapon Aboard Supercarrier

AeroVironment said this week that its LOCUST Laser Weapon System was successfully demonstrated aboard the USS George H.W. Bush in a live-fire event where it tracked, engaged, and neutralized multiple target drones. The company said the system was put aboard the supercarrier in October 2025. In a statement, AeroVironment Vice President of Directed Energy Systems John Garrity said LOCUST delivers protection against emerging drone threats at the speed of light and can be rolled onto a ship without costly, time-consuming modifications. Shipboard deployments are a strong fit for the technology because the laser weapon system can run fully off a ship’s power, giving the vessel what AeroVironment described as an unlimited directed-energy magazine with an essentially unlimited power source. The demonstration comes as the USS George H.W. Bush is operating in the Middle East alongside two other aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford. The Navy has not confirmed whether LOCUST remains aboard the carrier. AeroVironment revealed that the LOCUST system had been upgraded with a larger aperture beam director to improve lethality performance. The company described the successful demonstration as a game-changer for the Navy and for national security. Drones have become a central feature of modern warfare, with thousands deployed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and by Iran against regional targets.