Overview
- The FAA halted flights over El Paso and parts of New Mexico with a 10‑nautical‑mile, up‑to‑18,000‑foot Temporary Flight Restriction initially set for up to 10 days, then lifted it after about eight hours.
- Officials and reporting indicate counter‑drone operations near Fort Bliss and Biggs Army Airfield involved a Pentagon‑provided directed‑energy system, with at least one downed object later identified as a balloon.
- WIRED, citing Reuters, reports the system was AeroVironment’s LOCUST laser, a 20‑kilowatt directed‑energy tool recently delivered to the Army under AMP‑HEL prototyping efforts.
- Multiple sources say the FAA was not fully briefed on the scope or timing of nearby counter‑drone activities, prompting a conservative safety shutdown and triggering internal reviews of deconfliction protocols.
- The episode unfolds as CBP confirms more than 42,000 near‑border drone detections in FY25 and DHS testimony cites 60,000 cartel flights from July to December 2024, reflecting a large‑scale and growing threat.