- FAA approves laser weapons for anti-drone operations in US airspace
- High energy weapons “do not present a greater risk”
- The approval comes after multiple airspace closures due to firing from unapproved weapons.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the use of high-energy lasers to kill drones in US airspace, according to the New York Times.
The decision was made Friday after a two-month deliberation over the potential dangers the weapons could cause to aircraft in laser-protected airspace.
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.”
Article continues below.
Anti-drone laser weapons approved for US airspace
The FAA approval did not mention any determination as to whether the weapons posed zero risk to aircraft, but instead stated that if the weapons came into contact with an aircraft, the damage would be minimal, which is hardly reassuring.
Additionally, pilots flying within airspace protected by laser weapons will receive a notice from 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 closures over El Paso and Fort Hancock in Texas.
In the first incident, on February 10, 2026, Customs and Border Protection shot down a metallic balloon using a high-energy laser weapon on loan from the Pentagon. The FAA immediately closed airspace up to 18,000 feet above El Paso for 10 days, but the restrictions were lifted a few hours later under pressure from the White House. A senior adviser to President Donald Trump called the incident a “fuck-up” by the FAA.
Then, on February 26, a second incident saw high-energy laser weapons fired at an “apparently threatening” drone flying near the US-Mexico border, prompting the FAA to close airspace around Fort Hancock. The drone was successfully shot down, but it was later discovered that it had been flown by Customs and Border Protection.
Both incidents brought to light a lack of concern about regulations surrounding new laser deployments. Federal law requires the Pentagon to coordinate with the Department of Transportation and the FAA before using new anti-drone technology.
Following the agreement between the FAA and the Department of Defense, US Army Brigadier General Matt Ross said: “By working hand-in-hand with the FAA and our interagency partners, the War Department is demonstrating that these cutting-edge capabilities are safe, effective and ready to protect all air travelers from the illicit use of drones in national airspace.”
Sensing that the FAA may have been pressured to approve the use of the technology, Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, who is one of the heads of the committee that oversees aviation, requested that both the Pentagon and the FFA submit a report on how the agreement was reached.
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