The Federal Aviation Administration has approved the Pentagon's use of a high-energy laser system to counter drones along the southern U.S. border, concluding that the technology does not pose an increased risk to civilian aircraft when operated under specific safeguards.
The decision follows a joint safety review and comes after a series of incidents earlier this year that exposed coordination gaps between federal agencies and temporarily disrupted airspace.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told Aerospace Global News that the agency's "top priority is protecting the safety of the American flying public," adding that a "data-informed Safety Risk Assessment" found the system could be deployed without increasing risk. The Department of Defense said the review followed live demonstrations conducted in March and would inform how similar systems are introduced in domestic airspace.
The system, identified as AeroVironment's LOCUST, uses a directed-energy beam to disable small unmanned aircraft by damaging critical components such as sensors or propulsion systems.
Officials say the system can be scaled in power and sustain repeated engagements at relatively low cost compared with traditional interceptors. Military planners view the technology as part of a broader response to increasing drone activity along the border, with U.S. Northern Command estimating more than 1,000 incursions each month.
The approval marks a shift after a series of incidents in February exposed coordination gaps between federal agencies. In early February, authorities used the laser system against what was initially described as a potential cross-border threat, prompting a sudden airspace shutdown over El Paso.
The White House framed the episode as a suspected cartel incursion, but subsequent reporting showed the laser had targeted a party balloon that had been mistaken for a cartel craft.
Days later the FAA again halted flights at El Paso International Airport after after a Homeland Security agency deployed the laser system without completing the required safety review.
Those incidents prompted additional testing in early March, with the Pentagon stating the exercises were designed to "address FAA safety concerns while gathering data about the laser's material effects on aircraft surrogates." Federal agencies later said they were "working together in an unprecedented fashion" to improve coordination.
U.S. and Mexican officials have warned of increased use of drones by criminal organizations, though Mexican authorities have said they have not detected such activity on their side of the border.
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