Trump’s Mar-a-Lago protected by laser air-defense system
A military-grade laser weapon system, AeroVironment's LOCUST, has been deployed as part of the air-defense network protecting President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate. NORAD and US Northern Command confirmed the deployment at the request of the Secret Service, citing a heightened security environment. The system is mounted on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and can engage drones and small aircraft at less than $10 per shot.
A military-grade laser weapon system has been deployed as part of the air-defense network protecting President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, US security agencies have confirmed. Officials from NORAD and US Northern Command told The War Zone that counter-drone and air-defense capabilities were deployed at the request of the US Secret Service, citing a heightened security environment while declining to disclose operational details. The system, AeroVironment's LOCUST, is a high-energy laser designed to detect, track, and disable drones and small aircraft weighing up to 600 kilograms. At Mar-a-Lago, it is mounted on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and operates alongside radar, infrared sensors, jammers, and Avenger short-range air-defense systems on a floating platform. The Secret Service said it is operating in a heightened threat environment and continuously adapts its protective operations. AeroVironment recently received a $464.8 million US Army contract for the LOCUST X3 variant, marking the first-ever production of a high-energy laser weapon system in US history. The system can engage threats at less than $10 per shot, compared to traditional kinetic weapons that can cost millions.