The Army just used a 20-kilowatt laser to take out three drones
The Army says its laser system can track and destroy hostile drones.
The US Army employed a high-energy multipurpose laser to eliminate three drones near the US-Mexico border, as reported on August 25-26. The operation, conducted by the Joint Task Force Southern Border under US Northern Command, targeted drones that reportedly posed a physical threat to military personnel and Customs and Border Patrol partners.
The deployment of the High-Energy Multipurpose Laser (AMP-HEL) system, derived from a military program aimed at developing advanced defense technologies, occurred in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The first two functional prototypes of the Locust Laser Weapon System, a mounted laser-based weapon designed for military vehicles, were delivered to the US Armed Forces in September 2025. Subsequent improvements were introduced in December of the same year.
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