US Military and FAA plan joint test of lasers designed to shoot down drones

By Aaron Cooper, CNN

(CNN) — After two high-profile incidents, the US Defense Department and Federal Aviation Administration are planning a joint test of a laser system this weekend designed to shoot down drones, according to a statement from the military.

“This test is part of a long-term, multi-year partnership between the Department of War and the FAA to ensure counter-drone technologies are safely integrated into the national airspace,” Joint Interagency Task Force 401 said in a statement.

The operation, on March 7 and 8 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, comes after two uses of anti-drone laser systems on the southern border prompted calls for Congressional investigations.

Last month the US military used a laser system to shoot down an unmanned aircraft operated by US Customs and Border Protection in Texas.

About two weeks earlier, the use of a military laser system by CBP designed to disrupt drones near El Paso prompted the FAA to abruptly shut down a large swath of airspace up to 18,000 feet over the city for 10 days. The move effectively shut down the city’s airport but was reversed after about eight hours.

The Defense Department allowed use of the system around El Paso before meeting with the FAA to review potential safety impacts, prompting the aviation agency to impose the temporary flight restriction, sources told CNN at the time.

This weekend’s test appears targeted to address some of the aviation agency’s worries.

“This upcoming event will specifically address FAA safety concerns while gathering data about the laser’s material effects on aircraft surrogates, validating the functionality of automated safety shut-off systems, and informing analyses for aircrew eye safety,” the military statement noted.

In a statement the FAA noted it appreciates the coordination too help ensure public safety.

“The FAA and DOW are working with interagency partners to address emerging threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems while maintaining the safety of the National Airspace System.”

CNN’s Alexandra Skores contributed to this report

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