From the MILTECH BRIEF event dataset — every item we publish is logged as a structured, source-graded record. Stated values only; we never estimate.
California's Harbinger showcased its Praesidia uncrewed hybrid truck powering a 30-kilowatt AeroVironment counter-drone laser at the American Rheinmetall booth during AUSA. Harbinger CEO John Henry Harris said the vehicle is supplying power to the directed-energy system.
Lithuania has received its first batch of AeroVironment Switchblade 600 loitering munitions, U.S.-made attack drones designed to target tanks and armored vehicles. The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence confirmed the delivery but did not disclose quantities, recipient units, or remaining delivery timelines. Lithuania signed the Switchblade 600 contract earlier in 2026.
The U.S. Department of Defense's Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) has selected AeroVironment, Epirus, Kord, and Boeing for a pilot programme assessing high-energy laser and high-powered microwave systems for homeland counter-UAS missions. The pilot will evaluate operational deployment of directed-energy C-UAS in domestic defence scenarios.
AeroVironmentEpirusKordBoeingJIATF-401U.S. Department of Defense Breaking Defense →Army Technology →
The US Army awarded AeroVironment a $465 million contract for production of high-energy laser counter-drone systems under the Enduring High Energy Laser Program. AeroVironment described the contract as historically significant: the first directed-energy production award in US military history. The lasers are designed to defeat small drones at lower cost per shot than kinetic interceptors.
Why it matters: After two decades of laser prototypes that never left test ranges, the Army is buying them in quantity — validating the technology for the C-UAS mission and raising the bar for European laser programmes still stuck in demonstrator phase.
US ArmyAeroVironmentUnited States Breaking Defense →DefenseScoop →
US forces used an Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser, manufactured by AeroVironment, to destroy three hostile drones during an overnight operation at the southern border in Texas's Rio Grande Valley, US Northern Command confirmed. The task force did not disclose the exact location or who was suspected of flying the drones, but suggested they could have been used for reconnaissance by a drug cartel.
US ArmyUS Northern CommandAeroVironmentUnited States Breaking Defense →C4ISRNET →Defence Industry Europe →