Laser Weapon Now Guarding Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Estate

At least one AeroVironment LOCUST laser counter-drone system is part of the array of anti-air defenses that have popped up around President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, in recent weeks. Versions of LOCUST have been seeing steadily increasing use within the U.S. military in recent years, including deployments now along the border with Mexico. Though there has been much progress in the development of practical laser directed-energy weapons in recent years, the technology has continued to face hurdles to more widespread adoption.

The LOCUST system at Mar-a-Lago, which is mounted on a 4×4 Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), is seen in two pictures that Getty’s Andrew Harnik took on October 31. When exactly the laser-directed energy weapon was deployed is unclear. Laser Wars was the first to spot the system in one of Harnik’s pictures and confirm its deployment.

Harnik’s main focus was a pair of Humvee-based AN/TWQ-1 Avenger short-range air defense systems on a floating platform in Lake Worth Lagoon near the edge of the estate, which were first deployed there just over two weeks ago. Additional Avengers have also been positioned around Donald J. Trump International Airport, which is situated some three miles to the west. The U.S. military has also set up elements of Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Fly-Away Kits, including Ku-band radar, electronic support measures (ESM), jammers, and 360-degree infrared search and track systems nearby. TWZ covered the presence of the Avengers and the Fly-Away Kits in a report last Friday.

The JLTV-based LOCUST counter-drone laser system can be seen here, at right, between two palm trees. Two Humvee-based AN/TWQ-1 Avenger short-range air defense systems are also seen, at left, on a floating platform. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images A stock picture of a JLTV-based LOCUST system. AeroVironment

This heightened security comes amid signs that a new round of major hostilities with Iran could be on the horizon, as well as the run-up to tomorrow’s mid-term elections. The regime in Tehran has threatened Trump’s life on several occasions over the years. The President has already been the subject of several domestic assassination attempts and threats.

“At the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) and under NORAD [the U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command] and USNORTHCOM [U.S. Northern Command] authorities, NORAD and USNORTHCOM recently deployed ground-based air defense [GBAD] assets and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System capabilities in and around Mar-a-Lago, Florida,” the commands told us in a statement last week. “These assets add a complementary layer of technology to enhance protection. Due to operational security, we are unable to provide additional details. For further detail, we refer you to the USSS.”

“The U.S. Secret Service is operating in a heightened threat environment, and we continuously adapt our protective operations to incorporate cutting-edge tools, technology, and methods to safeguard our protectees,” the Secret Service also told us in a prior statement. “At the request of the U.S. Secret Service, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command are providing Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System capabilities in support of our protective operations.”

The U.S. Army began recieving the JLTV-based versions of LOCUST, along with examples mounted on the smaller 4×4 Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) last year through a program called the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL). This followed the delivery of palletized LOCUST systems under a rapid prototyping effort called the Palletized-High Energy Laser (P-HEL) in the early 2020s. The Army is now acquiring LOCUST X3 systems under its Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program. LOCUST has become something of a star more broadly within the directed energy space across the U.S. military. The U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy have also been exploring the use of versions of LOCUST in ground-based and shipboard contexts.

A close-up look at the turret on an earlier palletized version of LOCUST acquired by the Army. US Army

To date, all versions of LOCUST consist of a turret with the laser beam projector, as well as built-in electro-optical and infrared video

Source: www.twz.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.