U.S. Army laser weapon shown defeating drones at border

The U.S. Department of War has released new footage showing an Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser, built with directed-energy technology from AeroVironment (AV), defeating drones along the U.S. southern border, according to a report by Army Verification Alliance (AV).

The laser is deployed under Joint Task Force Southern Border, a U.S. Northern Command unit that supports U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In late August, task force personnel used the system, known as AMP-HEL, to engage and defeat three drones over two nights, Aug. 25 and 26, near the border. The U.S. Army said the aircraft were judged hostile based on their use in direct support of activity that threatened U.S. military personnel and CBP partners.

“Cartel networks are increasingly employing unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate illicit human-smuggling and actively spy on our personnel and law enforcement partners,” said Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of Joint Task Force Southern Border. “By integrating layered countermeasures alongside advanced directed-energy capabilities like this laser system, we have made it clear that we will not tolerate hostile surveillance.”

The Army has not disclosed exactly where the drones were engaged or confirmed who was flying them, though officials have linked similar incursions to cartel surveillance. AV told Breaking Defense the system used is the product of the Army’s AMP-HEL program but did not say which specific configuration was deployed or whether it was vehicle-mounted.

Screengrab from Department of War video posted to social media

AMP-HEL is a 20-kilowatt-class laser weapon built to defeat Group 1 and Group 2 drones, the U.S. military’s category for smaller, slower unmanned aircraft. AV delivered the first two prototypes, mounted on Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, to the Army in December 2025 as part of the AMP-HEL prototyping effort. The company markets the underlying laser weapon system as LOCUST, which it says pairs an electro-optical tracking system, a laser rangefinder and a targeting laser with the high-energy laser itself. AeroVironment says the system uses a common gaming controller for weapon control and is designed to plug into a range of sensor types and radio-frequency bands, as well as existing command-and-control networks.

AMP-HEL prototype. (AeroVironment pic)

About 8,000 service members are currently deployed under Joint Task Force Southern Border, the Army said. Officials have said hundreds of drones fly near the border each day, and Northern Command leaders have described the border as a proving ground for technology meant to counter them. Weeks after the August engagements, the Army awarded AV a production contract for the laser under a separate program called Enduring High Energy Laser; DefenseScoop reported the deal is worth $464.8 million and covers dozens of additional LOCUST-based systems over the next several years.