Austin startup Tern has secured an $11.26 million U.S. Army contract to install its GPS-alternative navigation system in military vehicles. The technology uses a device connected to a vehicle's diagnostics board, paired with a tablet, to calculate location and routing by passively analyzing data the vehicle already generates, rather than relying on satellite signals.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-10
The US Army's Joint Task Force Southern Border used a high-energy laser weapon to destroy three drones near the Rio Grande Valley overnight on August 25-26, after officials said the drones threatened military and Customs and Border Patrol personnel. The weapon involved is the Locust Laser Weapon System, built on AeroVironment's AMP-HEL technology and delivered to the Army starting September 2025, with additional units following in December.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-02
The US Army's Joint Task Force Southern Border used a 20-kilowatt Locust Laser Weapon System to destroy three drones near the Rio Grande Valley overnight on August 25-26, after officials said the drones threatened military and border patrol personnel. The vehicle-mounted laser, derived from the Army's AMP-HEL program, was supplied by defense contractor AeroVironment, which delivered its first prototypes in September 2025 and expanded the fleet in December.
wired.com
· 2026-09-01