Uncrewed truck with anti-drone laser shown at AUSA

An uncrewed hybrid truck built by California’s Harbinger is powering a 30-kilowatt AeroVironment counter-drone laser at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting in Washington this week, shown at American Rheinmetall’s booth.

Harbinger CEO John Henry Harris said in a LinkedIn post on Oct. 12 that the company’s Praesidia vehicle is supplying power to an AeroVironment LOCUST X3 laser weapon mounted on the truck, with autonomy software from Forterra.

The display is at Rheinmetall’s booth, No. 2285. Harris pitched the combination as cheap, mass-producible equipment with “unlimited magazine depth,” a reference to the fact that a laser keeps firing as long as it has electrical power rather than running out of missiles or rounds. He did not say whether the system has been tested together in the field, whether any U.S. Army unit plans to use it, or what it would cost.

The Praesidia is a militarized version of the plug-in hybrid chassis Harbinger builds for commercial delivery trucks. It has no cab, is driven by wire so autonomy kits can control steering, braking and acceleration, and combines a large battery pack with a gasoline engine that acts as a generator. Harbinger says the vehicle can travel more than 800 km (500 miles) on a full tank and full battery, or about 170 km (105 miles) on electric power alone, and can export up to 350 kW of power to equipment it carries. That power is what a laser weapon needs: a high-energy laser draws electricity continuously while firing, and the vehicle carrying it has to supply it.

AeroVironment’s LOCUST laser family came from BlueHalo, which AeroVironment acquired in 2025. The U.S. Army has tested earlier LOCUST lasers mounted on Joint Light Tactical Vehicles as part of its effort to shoot down small drones without spending missiles. AeroVironment has not published detailed specifications for the X3 version beyond the 30 kW power level Harris cited.

The truck at AUSA comes from a program already under contract. In August, the U.S. Army gave American Rheinmetall an 18-month deal to build autonomous supply vehicles under Project Sustainment, using Harbinger’s chassis, Forterra’s autonomy software and Primordial Labs’ Anura control interface. Those vehicles are meant to haul supplies to company-sized units without a driver. Harbinger has also said it is configuring the Praesidia for battlefield communications, troop transport, perimeter security and counter-drone missions, and the CIA-backed venture firm In-Q-Tel invested in the company in June.