U.S. Military Advances High-Energy Laser Deployment for Drone Defense with FAA Safety Agreement

Military and FAA Greenlight Laser Weapons for Drone Defense

The U.S. military is advancing the regular deployment of high-energy laser weapons on American soil to counter the growing threat of low-cost weaponized drones. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Defense Department have finalized a landmark safety agreement regarding the use of these weapons to neutralize unauthorized drones along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The agreement follows a safety assessment that concluded laser countermeasures do not pose undue risk to passenger aircraft, the FAA announced on April 10. The assessment and resulting agreement were directly prompted by two laser incidents along the southern border of Texas in February, which led to abrupt airspace closures due to concerns over civilian air traffic safety.

Key Incidents Sparking the Agreement

The incidents involved the U.S. Army’s 20-kilowatt Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL), a vehicle-mounted version of defense contractor AV’s LOCUST Laser Weapon System. In the first incident:

• On February 11, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) personnel used an AMP-HEL on loan from the Pentagon to engage an unidentified target near Fort Bliss. This triggered an airspace shutdown above El Paso.
• On February 27, U.S. military personnel used an AMP-HEL near Fort Hancock to neutralize a “seemingly threatening” drone, which later turned out to belong to CBP. This incident also resulted in another airspace shutdown.

Following these events, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford stated in a press release:

“Following a thorough, data-informed Safety Risk Assessment, we determined that these systems do not present an increased risk to the flying public. We will continue working with our interagency partners to ensure the National Airspace System remains safe while addressing emerging drone threats.”

FAA and Pentagon Conduct First-of-Its-Kind Safety Assessment

The “first of its kind” safety assessment was conducted in early March by the FAA and the Pentagon’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401), a counter-drone organization based at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The assessment yielded two critical conclusions:

• The LOCUST’s automatic shutoff mechanism will consistently prevent the system from firing under unsafe conditions, a point emphasized by AV executives.
• In the event of a system failure, the laser beam cannot inflict catastrophic damage on aircraft, even at its maximum effective range—let alone those at cruising altitudes.

How the LOCUST Laser Weapon System Ensures Safety

AV’s senior director for business development, Aaron Westman, outlined the LOCUST’s safety protocols in a company blog post on March 23. Every time an operator attempts to fire the system, it undergoes a series of automated checks:

• Is the laser pointing away from protected “keep-out” zones?
• Are all internal subsystems operating within safe parameters?
• Is the system properly locked onto a target?
• Are safety interlock switches engaged?
• Are all software safety checks satisfied?

Westman explained that each of these checks acts as a safety “vote.” If any subsystem registers a “no vote,” the laser will not fire. The system will refuse to engage until all conditions are verified as safe. These safeguards are embedded in both the hardware and software of the system.

Future Implications for Laser Defense Systems

The FAA’s safety assessment and the new agreement mark a significant step toward integrating high-energy laser weapons into the U.S. military’s air defense strategy. By addressing concerns over civilian air traffic safety, the military and FAA are paving the way for broader deployment of these systems to counter emerging drone threats.