Pentagon to Test Anti-Drone Lasers at Southern Border After Military Mistakenly Shot Down CBP Drone and Party Balloon

The Pentagon is preparing to test a high-energy laser system designed to counter drones near the U.S.-Mexico border after two recent incidents in which similar systems were used to shoot down what later turned out to be a U.S. government drone and a party balloon.

The Defense Department said the upcoming tests in New Mexico, conducted in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, will examine the effects of the laser on aircraft-like materials and address aviation safety concerns.

"This upcoming event will specifically address FAA safety concerns while gathering data about the laser's material effects on aircraft surrogates," the Pentagon said in a statement cited by Reuters. The exact location of the March 7–8 tests was not disclosed.

The testing follows a February incident near Fort Hancock, Texas, where the U.S. military used a high-energy laser to shoot down a drone flying in restricted airspace along the border. Officials later determined the aircraft belonged to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

According to officials familiar with the investigation, CBP had not notified the Defense Department that it was launching a drone in that area, leading the military to treat it as an unidentified aircraft, as The New York Times pointed out in a sprawling piece in late February

The episode triggered a temporary closure of nearby airspace by the FAA and intensified concerns about coordination among federal agencies operating along the border.

A similar incident earlier in February led to a broader disruption of air travel near El Paso. Customs and Border Protection officials used a laser system provided by the Army to shoot down what they initially believed was a drone linked to Mexican cartels. The object was later identified as a metallic party balloon. The FAA responded by grounding flights in the region for several hours before lifting the restrictions, as the El Paso Times recounts.

Officials from the Pentagon, FAA and CBP later issued a joint statement saying the agencies were "working together in an unprecedented fashion to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico border."

Border security agencies have increasingly turned to counter-drone technology in response to growing drone activity. Homeland Security officials told Congress last year that organizations hostile to law enforcement flew roughly 27,000 drones within 500 meters of the U.S.-Mexico border during the first half of 2024.