# U.S. Army Awards E-HEL Laser Contract

The U.S. Army is finalizing a multi-year contract with AeroVironment valued at hundreds of millions of dollars to establish the Enduring High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program as its first directed-energy program of record. This contract will procure up to 20 compact 20-kilowatt LOCUST Laser Weapon Systems designed to provide cost-effective, rapid-response defense against drone swarms and unmanned aerial threats. The E-HEL program marks a strategic shift in battlefield air defense by integrating high-energy lasers as a permanent, modular, and deployable counter-drone capability within the Army's layered air defense architecture.

- The contract represents a significant procurement opportunity for defense contractors specializing in directed energy and counter-UAS technologies, with an estimated value of at least $400 million.
- Procurement professionals should note the Army's transition from prototype to production acquisition, indicating increased budgetary and sustainment commitments for laser weapon systems.
- The deployment of up to 20 systems globally will require coordination across multiple Army bases and testing facilities, including White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
- Companies involved in laser technology supply, such as nLight, and prime contractors like AeroVironment, are positioned to benefit from this expanding market segment in defense counter-drone capabilities.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence, Contracting Vehicles
**Published:** August 07, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Army (Army)
- U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- Pentagon
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- U.S. Navy (Navy)

### Vendors
- AeroVironment (Prime contractor)
- nLight (Laser technology supplier)
- Raytheon (Defense contractor)
- Boeing (Supplier of Compact Laser Weapons System)

### Key Quotes
> E-HEL is being developed as an operational program of record, meaning the U.S. Army is preparing to place high-energy lasers within an enduring acquisition, budgeting and sustainment structure rather than treating them solely as experimental equipment.
> — Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano, Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fires, U.S. Army

> For years, lasers were going to be the future, and they never really came to their own. Now, they're actually coming to their own.
> — Mark J. Lewis, Former Air Force Chief Scientist

> The agreement specifically targets the acquisition of the 20-kilowatt LOCUST Laser Weapon System, a compact, highly lethal platform designed for maximum mobility.
> — Lieutenant General Frank Lozano, Army Acquisition Executive

### Sources
- [HERE COMES THE E-HEL 

@NoahShachtman reports that the US Army is poised to award a contract for its first-ever directed energy program of record 

https://t.co/ipIUo4xzwt](https://x.com/laserwarsHQ/status/2084665496046280991) - twitter-defense
- [Why the US Army's New Laser Weapon Changes Battlefield Defense](https://streamlinefeed.co.ke/news/us-army-new-laser-weapon-changes-battlefield-defense) - streamlinefeed.co.ke
- [U.S. Army Moves to Make High-Energy Lasers a Permanent Counter-Drone Weapon](https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2026/u-s-army-moves-to-make-high-energy-lasers-a-permanent-counter-drone-weapon) - Army Recognition