美国陆军官员在华盛顿举行的美国陆军协会年会上告诉《军队时报》，美国陆军为“持久高能激光”（E-HEL）计划选定的首款定向能武器，可能在2028年初完成测试并具备反无人机作战能力。
The first directed energy weapon selected by the U.S. Army for the Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program could be out of testing and ready for counter-drone operations by early 2028, Army officials told Military Times at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting in Washington.
“我们本希望能留下第一台下线产品用于我们的测试和训练。然而，我们看到的是，鉴于当前环境，我们生产的每一套具备反无人机系统能力的装备，往往都会被部署到某个地方，”美国陆军定向能项目办公室首席工程师柯克·威廉姆斯说。
“We would love to be able to keep the first unit off the line for our testing and training. However, what we’ve seen is, with the environment as it is, everything that we produce as a capable counter-UAS system tends to get deployed somewhere,” said Kirk Williams, chief engineer at the U.S. Army Directed Energy Project Office.
9月，陆军向AeroVironment公司授予了一份价值4.648亿美元的合同，用于采购LOCUST X3——其模块化、托盘化的高能激光系统。据AeroVironment公司称，LOCUST系统的早期型号已在实战环境中投入使用，包括在美国南部边境。首套LOCUST X3计划于2027财年第四季度交付，并将安装在联合轻型战术车辆上。
In September, the Army awarded AeroVironment a $464.8 million contract for LOCUST X3, its modular, palletized high-energy laser system. Earlier generations of the LOCUST system are actively fielded in operational environments, including at the U.S. southern border, according to AeroVironment. The first LOCUST X3 is slated for delivery by Q4 of FY 2027 and will be mounted on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
“目标是推动其完成测试、确认、验证，并‘尽快交到士兵手中’，”防御火力能力项目执行官、陆军准将盖伊·耶尔弗顿说。“我设想的最晚时间点是2028年春季，如果能在12月至1月的时间框架内实现，那将非常棒。那将是陆军的一大胜利。”目前尚不清楚首批高能反无人机武器将在H-ELS框架下部署在何处。耶尔弗顿表示，第7步兵师可能是潜在合作伙伴。
The goal is to push it through testing, validation, verification and “give it to soldiers as soon as possible,” said Brig. Gen. Guy Yelverton, capability program executive for Defensive Fires. “My far-down point would be spring [2028], and if I could get in the December-January timeframe, that would be awesome. That would be a great win for the Army.”It is unclear where the first high-energy counter-drone weapons under H-ELS will be deployed. Yelverton suggested the 7th Infantry Division could be a potential partner.
第7步兵师支援副指挥官、上校查尔斯·基恩将定向能武器描述为防御高梯队空中威胁（包括单个无人机系统或编队）的一个组成部分，但表示它们不是“单一子弹”式的解决方案。
Deputy commanding officer of Support for the 7th Infantry Division, Col. Charles Kean, described directed-energy weapons as a component of defense against high-echelon air threats, including individual UAS or formations, but said they were not a “single bullet” solution.
“我们给士兵提供的能力越多，他们维护起来就越容易，可靠性就越高，效果就越好，”基恩在AUSA的战士角对观众这样说道。
“The more capabilities we put in the hands of soldiers, the easier they are to maintain, the more reliable they are, the better,” Kean told an audience at AUSA’s Warriors Corner.
陆军在十月的陆军现代化日成功演示了使用定向能平台原型实现的八次击毙。
The Army successfully demonstrated eight kills using the directed energy platform prototype during the Army Modernization Day in October.
这种托盘化、模块化的解决方案可以集成到多种车辆上，包括联合轻型战术车（JLTV）和步兵分队车（ISV）。
The palletized, modular solutions can be integrated onto a number of vehicles, including the JLTV and Infantry Squad Vehicle, or ISV.
根据威廉姆斯的说法，模块化系统将通过使士兵能够进行野外维护来提高可靠性和可持续性。它还将使陆军能够“随时间持续改进系统”，而无需更换整个单元。
The modular system will improve reliability and sustainability by making it possible for soldiers to perform field-level maintenance, according to Williams. It will also allow the Army to “continuously improve the system over time” without replacing the full unit.
根据AeroVironment定向能副总裁约翰·加里蒂的说法，反无人机E-HEL合同涉及超过26套激光武器系统，他表示初始系统计划于2027年交付。
The counter-drone E-HEL contract is for more than 26 laser weapons units total, according to AeroVironment vice president of Directed Energy, John Garrity, who indicated the initial system is on target for 2027 delivery.
“我们能够提前进行大量长周期采购，因此我们正在为生产做准备，”加里蒂对《军事时报》表示。“因为无人机不会变慢，而我们的对手在使用它们时也不会变得更懒。”定向能武器是陆军正在加快推进的能力之一，以应对低成本、无人机系统日益增长的威胁。
“We were able to lean forward with a lot of the long-lead procurements early, so we’re ramping up for production,” Garrity told Military Times. “Because drones aren’t getting any slower and our adversaries aren’t getting any lazier with them.”Directed energy weapons are one of the capabilities the Army is pursuing at speed to counter the growing threat of low-cost, unmanned aircraft systems.
在AUSA的一次早些时候的演讲中，陆军部长亚当·泰勒强调了部署低成本拦截器以击落导弹和无人机的必要性。泰勒赞扬了陆军在简化采购流程、为士兵提供所需装备方面的工作。
During an earlier speech at AUSA, Secretary of the Army Adam Telle highlighted the need to field low-cost interceptors to shoot down missiles and drones. Telle hailed the Army’s work to streamline acquisition and get soldiers the gear they need.