Pentagon Deploys High-Power Lasers to Protect US Airports

The United States Department of Defense is accelerating the deployment of high-powered lasers and high-power microwave systems to protect key domestic facilities and airports from unmanned aircraft systems. High-energy lasers are already approved for use at critical facilities, while microwave systems await final approval.

To resolve regulatory gaps and communication failures, the Pentagon will sign an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration. This interagency coordination follows several operational failures, including an incident in El Paso where a counter-drone laser caused an abrupt airspace closure and a separate event where Defense Department personnel accidentally shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone on the Texas-Mexico border.

David Bagnati, leader of a Pentagon taskforce on counter-drone technology, announced the agreement at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium. The initiative aims to standardize the use of counter-UAS equipment within US airspace to prevent further accidental disruptions to aviation and border security operations.