Overview
- A Friday agreement between the FAA and the Pentagon authorizes high-energy lasers to take down drones along the U.S.–Mexico border after a safety review found no added risk to passenger flights.
- The FAA based its finding on demonstrations at White Sands Missile Range on March 7 and 8 that informed a data-driven assessment of the system’s controls.
- In February, the FAA halted flights at El Paso for about eight hours after an agency used the laser without prior review, and the military later shot down a CBP drone near Fort Hancock, which led to expanded flight limits there.
- Defense officials said they will coordinate each use with the FAA to avoid effects on aircraft, pilots, navigation gear, and air traffic services, though key operating details of the new framework were not released.
- Officials cite heavy drone activity at the border, including more than 1,000 incursions a month and 27,000 detections in late 2024, as the reason for lasers, which could deter cartel flights and reduce surprise airport shutdowns for travelers.