The U.S. government can now use a counterdrone laser along the southern border after the Pentagon and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agreed the weapons are safe, the two agencies announced Friday.<\/p>\n
The Defense Department and FAA \u201ccompleted a thorough safety assessment of a high-energy laser counter-drone system\u201d in New Mexico last month and agreed the laser does not pose undue risks to passenger aircraft.<\/p>\n
The agreement signed by the two agencies lays out the safety precautions in effect when these lasers are used to protect airline travelers. It comes after the FAA on two occasions was forced to close parts of Texas airspace after antidrone lasers were deployed.<\/p>\n
The El Paso airport was forced to close for several hours in February after the FAA temporarily closed the airspace over the city. The FAA initially announced a 10-day closure of the airspace but lifted the restrictions after less than seven hours.<\/p>\n
The Trump administration offered conflicting reports for the closure, saying the stoppage was\u00a0brought on by<\/a>\u00a0a Mexican cartel drone that breached U.S. airspace. Multiple news reports, however, found that the FAA\u2019s order was imposed due to Pentagon testing of new laser technology on a\u00a0party balloon<\/a>, which was initially believed to be a drone.<\/p>\n FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford made the decision to close the airspace without notifying the White House, Department of Homeland Security or the Pentagon.<\/p>\n