Inside a counter-drone laser test in the American desert

The Pentagon's Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the FAA conducted a "first of its kind" test of the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser at White Sands Missile Range on March 7-8, following two incidents in February where counter-drone lasers temporarily shut down Texas airspace. During the test, the laser system automatically shut down when it detected a distant commercial aircraft approaching Albuquerque airport while tracking a simulated threat, demonstrating its safety mechanisms to FAA officials. The evaluation was fast-tracked after U.S. Customs and Border Protection used Pentagon lasers to shoot down objects near El Paso and accidentally targeted a CBP drone near Fort Hancock without proper coordination. Testers fired the laser at maximum range for up to 8 seconds at a grounded Boeing 767 fuselage, with officials reporting no structural damage to prove the system's safety around commercial aircraft. The test aimed to address FAA safety concerns and establish coordination protocols for using counter-drone lasers along the U.S.-Mexico border, where officials say Mexican cartels are flying hundreds of drones daily.