Seven brand new weapons were unveiled in a single week, and together they change how future wars will be fought. There are lasers, microwaves, robot interceptors and a five-pound tank killer. This is your complete roundup from AUSA 2026, in Washington. Most of the weapons were unveiled on 12 October. Here is each one, in full.
1. LOCUST X3 — A Laser on a Driverless Vehicle
Number one is a laser on a driverless vehicle. AeroVironment's LOCUST X3 is a high-energy laser that scales from 20 to more than 35 kilowatts. It rides on the MUSKOX, an unmanned ground vehicle from American Rheinmetall.
It defeats Group 1 to 3 drones, including Shahed-type one-way attack drones. It can also engage unmanned boats. The big idea is economics. Cheap drones are today stopped by expensive missiles, and those missiles run out. A laser is different. It fires on electricity alone, limited only by power and cooling. The Army has given AeroVironment its first production contract for a laser weapon.
2. BAE Systems — Smart Cannon Plus Microwave Weapon
Number two brings two weapons together from BAE Systems. Its Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon (MDACS) fires a guided hypervelocity projectile against aircraft and drones. It also fires a precision round called Scorpio XR that doubles the range of a 155 millimetre gun.
Beside it sits a High Power Microwave (HPM) weapon. This is a directed-energy system that knocks drones out of the sky in waves. It is built to stop saturation attacks, where dozens of drones arrive together. Both weapons were unveiled at AUSA on 12 October. As BAE puts it, as long as there is power, there is defence. There is no magazine to empty.
3. Raytheon Coyote — Rocket-Powered Drone Interceptor
Number three is from Raytheon. Raytheon has rebuilt its Coyote drone interceptor around a single solid rocket motor. The new variant is called Block 2C+RM. It replaces the old booster and turbojet, so it launches faster and flies at higher velocity. It also carries an upgraded seeker and warhead.
Three flight tests are complete. It still works with existing ground launchers and control systems, so armies do not need all-new kit to use it. Why does speed matter? Because the newest one-way attack drones are jet powered and far faster than before. This Coyote is built to catch them, up to Class 3 drones.
4. Anduril Steelfin — A Family of Interceptors
Number four is Steelfin from Anduril. Steelfin is a family of surface-to-air interceptors, not just one missile. The design uses two stages. Different boosters can be fitted for different ranges and missions, while every version shares the same terminal interceptor stage on top.
Steelfin is built for mass production, with several thousand missiles planned every year. Anduril unveiled it on 12 October. Ballistic testing is complete. But be clear about the stage it has reached: flight testing is planned for 2027. So this is an announced architecture, not yet a flight-proven weapon.
5. Airbus and Kratos Valkyrie — Robot Jet Flies in Europe
Number five is a robot fighter jet that has flown in Europe for the first time. Reuters reported on 12 October that Airbus flew the American-built Kratos Valkyrie, an uncrewed combat drone, over northern Europe on 29 September, reaching up to Mach 0.8. Airbus called it a complete success.
Airbus and Kratos have partnered to supply the German Air Force by 2029. The Valkyrie flies more than 5,000 kilometres, launches from a rail, and will team with Eurofighter jets, for about 20 million euros each. A teamed Eurofighter flight follows in 2027.
6. IAI HawkGuard — The Anti-Drone Shield
Number six comes from Israel. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) unveiled HawkGuard, a new layer in its counter-drone architecture, at AUSA on 12 October.
HawkGuard combines radar and electro-optical sensors with artificial-intelligence-enabled command and control. So it can find and track hostile drones and low-altitude threats quickly. Then comes the unusual part. Its interceptor drones neutralise hostile drones by flying straight into them — a direct kinetic hit with no explosive warhead at all. That avoids blast damage and secondary effects on the ground below. The system has recently completed successful tests against a range of drones and other low-altitude threats.
7. TYR — The 5-Pound Tank Killer
Number seven is the smallest weapon here, and it may be the most surprising. Heaviside Industries unveiled TYR on 12 October. TYR is a man-packable loitering munition that weighs about five pounds — light enough for a single soldier to carry.
It is built to destroy armoured vehicles and fortified structures: a pocket tank killer. It lets soldiers strike from a greater standoff distance, keeping them further from danger. Live-fire testing is complete, and the company is under contract with United States Department of War customers. Heaviside was founded in 2024, in Los Angeles.
The Future of War
Seven weapons, one clear message. The future of war is cheaper shots, faster interceptors, and machines fighting machines. A laser that fires on electricity. A microwave that stops waves of drones. A rocket interceptor built to catch jet drones. A robot jet over Europe. And a tank killer that weighs five pounds.
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