Leonardo DRS joins AeroVironment's Army laser production program, DefenseScoop reports

The Department of War on Oct. 5 named the first systems selected for Joint Interagency Task Force 401's directed-energy counter-drone pilot^1–2. Three are lasers: AeroVironment's Palletized High-Energy Laser system, Kord's Firefly High-Energy Laser system and Boeing's Compact Laser Weapon system. The fourth is Epirus's Leonidas High-Powered Microwave system¹.

AeroVironmentPalletized High-Energy Laser system

KordFirefly High-Energy Laser system

BoeingCompact Laser Weapon system

EpirusLeonidas High-Powered Microwave system

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Joint Interagency Task Force 401 pilotDirected by the FY2026 NDAA, it will evaluate performance and supply data on requirements, costs and best practices

The announcement gives no dollar value, contract vehicle, quantities or schedule. The department will assess additional laser and microwave systems at a December shoot-off at Dugway Proving Ground.

Source: Department of War release, Oct. 5, 2026. Data as of Oct. 5, 2026.

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AeroVironment has been through this task force's testing before. JIATF 401 and the Army's Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fires led testing of the company's LOCUST laser at White Sands, and an Army award followed. On Sept. 2, AeroVironment said that office had awarded it a $464.8 million Other Transaction Agreement for the Enduring-High Energy Laser program. Under it, the company will deliver "dozens" of LOCUST X3 laser weapon systems³.

The new pilot's stated product is data. Directed by the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, it will evaluate the systems' performance and supply "real-time data and feedback on the systems' requirements, costs, and best practices". JIATF 401 is conducting it in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Northern Command and the services¹. Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, the task force's director, said the pilot will test the systems "in an operational environment so we can understand how best to integrate and sustain them to defend the homeland"¹.

The release sets no quantities, schedule or fielding decision for the four, and the department's Oct. 5 contract announcements name none of the companies^{1, 4}.

AeroVironment expanded its revolving credit facility under an Oct. 30, 2026, amendment. Revolving commitments rose from $350 million to $450 million, with BMO Bank joining as a new lender.¹

aggregate revolving commitments$450 million

The Sixth Amendment raised aggregate revolving commitments by $100 million, from $350 million to $450 million, and reallocated commitments among lenders including the new lender

revolving facility

The $150 million letter of credit sublimit and $10 million swingline sublimit are part of, not in addition to, the revolving facility

Source: AeroVironment Form 8-K. As of Nov. 4, 2026.

Sources

• www.sec.gov ↗

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The expansion adds $100 million in financing capacity.¹ A higher letter of credit sublimit established earlier in October remains part of the revolver, and outstanding letters of credit reduce the amount available to borrow.^1–2

An earlier amendment on Oct. 9, 2026, added JPMorgan Chase as a letter of credit issuer. It raised the letter of credit sublimit from $25 million to $150 million without increasing total revolving commitments.¹

The Oct. 30 amendment also provided for bilateral letters of credit and certain cash-collateralized letters of credit for deposit obligations, subject to the amended agreement's terms and conditions.¹

The facility still matures on Oct. 4, 2029, and its obligations remain secured by substantially all assets of AeroVironment and its guarantor subsidiaries.¹