REGULATORY · MARKET STRUCTURE · USA
US border counter-drone laser incident involving CBP drone and FAA airspace restrictions
Change
The Pentagon mistakenly used a high-energy laser counter-drone system to shoot down a US Customs and Border Protection drone near the Mexico border, and the FAA issued temporary flight restrictions near Fort Hancock, Texas, in effect until June 24 (with potential early lift).
Why it matters
Congressional aides told Reuters the Defense Department used a high-energy laser system to down a CBP drone near the Mexican border, reportedly because the military unit did not realize the drone was CBP-operated. Bloomberg reported the laser use was not coordinated in advance with the FAA, and there are conflicting accounts on whether the strike occurred Wednesday or Thursday. The FAA closed some airspace along the border near Fort Hancock, Texas, citing special security reasons; the temporary flight restrictions run until June 24 but can be lifted earlier. The event follows a separate early-February border-area laser incident in which CBP reportedly fired at what it believed was a drone but was a party balloon, increasing scrutiny of laser-based counter-drone use in shared airspace.
Implications
- • FAA temporary flight restrictions constrain border-area air operations until June 24.
- • Confirmed fratricide risk: US counter-drone lasers can down USG drones absent ID/coordination.
- • DoD/CBP/FAA coordination gaps become an operational constraint for counter-drone activity.
- • Congressional scrutiny/investigation pressure increases after repeated laser-related incidents.
Who is affected
- • US Department of Defense counter-drone units operating high-energy laser systems
- • US Customs and Border Protection drone operators and border surveillance programs
- • Federal Aviation Administration airspace management and enforcement teams
- • Commercial and general aviation operators near Fort Hancock/El Paso airspace
Source
Topics
World & Politics Policy & Regulation Security & Defense Law & Public Safety Regulatory Actions