February 13, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Airspace Closure Over Laser Weapon Use A Glaring Example Of Drone Defense Policy Struggles
After years of putting off the drone threat, the U.S. government is trying to do something about it, but policy is struggling to catch up. The post Airspace Closure Over Laser Weapon Use A Glaring Example Of Drone...
The recent use of a laser directed energy weapon to down an aerial object near El Paso, Texas, and its chaotic aftermath, highlight the policy challenges and impediments the U.S. still faces in defending against drone incursions over the homeland. These are major national security concerns and a topic The War Zone has been reporting on for years.
The latest chapter in the ongoing saga of U.S. efforts to begin countering small drone incursions over the country began last week. Reacting to what they thought was a drone operated by a Mexican drug cartel, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel reportedly used a laser directed energy weapon to take down the object, which multiple reports say turned out to be a Mylar balloon.