- FAA approves laser weapons for anti-drone operations in US airspace
- High-energy weapons “do not present an increased risk”
- Approval follows multiple airspace closures due to unapproved weapons firing
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the use of drone-killing high-energy lasers in US airspace, according to the New York Times.
The decision came on Friday after a two-month deliberation on the potential dangers the weapons could cause to aircraft in airspace protected by lasers.
Despite airspace closures to shoot down balloons and a friendly-fire incident involving a Customs and Border Protection drone, FAA testing has “determined that these systems do not present an increased risk to the flying public.”
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Anti-drone laser weapons approved for US airspace
The FAA approval doesn’t note any determinations on if the weapons posed zero risk to aircraft, but instead stated that if the weapons did happen to come into contact with an aircraft, the damage would be minimal – which is hardly reassuring.
Additionally, pilots flying within airspaces protected by laser weapons will be issued an advisory by the FAA.
The FAA has had several moments of conflict with the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security after high-energy lasers were used without FAA approval, leading to two airspace shutdowns over El Paso and Fort Hancock in Texas.
The first incident, on February 10 2026, saw Customs and Border Protection shoot down a metallic balloon using a high-energy laser weapon on loan from the Pentagon. The FAA immediately put into place an airspace closure up to 18,000 feet over El Paso for 10 days, but the restrictions were lifted just a few hours later under pressure from the White House. A senior aide to President Donald Trump labelled the incident as an FAA “f**k-up”.
Then, on February 26, a second incident saw high-energy laser weapons fired at a “seemingly threatening” drone flying within the vicinity of the US-Mexico border, which resulted in the FAA having to close the airspace around Fort Hancock. The drone was successfully brought down, but was later found to have been flown by the Customs and Border Protection.
Both incidents brought to light a lack of concern for the regulations surrounding the new laser deployments. The Pentagon is required by federal law to coordinate with the Transportation Department and the FAA before using new anti-drone technology.
Following the agreement between the FAA and the Defense Department, US Army Brigadier General Matt Ross said, “By working hand-in-hand with the FAA and our interagency partners, the Department of War is proving that these cutting-edge capabilities are safe, effective, and ready to protect all air travelers from illicit drone use in the national airspace.”
Sensing that the FAA may have been pressured into approving the technology for use, Democrat Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, who is one of the heads on the committee that oversees aviation, has requested that both the Pentagon and FFA present a briefing on how the agreement was made.
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benedict.collins@futurenet.com (Benedict Collins)
