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The Federal Aviation Administration and the Pentagon have reached a landmark agreement authorizing the deployment of a high-energy laser counter-drone system along the southern U.S. border. This milestone follows extensive safety testing conducted in New Mexico, where the FAA confirmed that the system poses no undue risk to commercial passenger aircraft.
The path to approval wasn't without setbacks. In February, two incidents raised significant safety concerns. On February 18, the FAA grounded all flights at El Paso International Airport for nearly 10 days after a Homeland Security agency activated the Pentagon's laser system before completing the required FAA safety review. The shutdown was lifted within hours following White House intervention. Then, on February 25, the military accidentally destroyed one of its own government drones using the same laser system, prompting the FAA to extend no-fly zones around Fort Hancock, Texas.
Despite these challenges, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford confirmed that a thorough safety risk assessment concluded the technology does not increase danger for the flying public. Pilots flying within five nautical miles of the U.S.-Mexico border have been advised to activate ADS-B OUT, a broadcast system that transmits real-time aircraft location data. Drone operators in the area have also been cautioned that unmanned aircraft perceived as threats may be destroyed.
The urgency behind this deployment is clear. Pentagon officials report more than 1,000 drone intrusions along the southern border every month, many linked to Mexican drug cartels using unmanned aerial vehicles to surveil smuggling routes or drop contraband. U.S. Army Brigadier General Matt Ross highlighted the system as a major step forward in homeland defense technology.
Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth has called on federal oversight bodies to investigate the decision-making process surrounding both the system's early use and the temporary airport closures, signaling continued scrutiny over how the technology is being managed.
