An advanced laser weapon designed to shoot down small drones has emerged as a central element in the chain of events that led to the sudden temporary shutdown of airspace over El Paso, Texas, raising fresh questions about interagency coordination, domestic use of military technology, and the evolving drone threat along the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to Reuters, an AeroVironment LOCUST laser directed energy weapon owned by the U.S. Army was involved in operations that preceded the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) decision to impose temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) over the region. Two individuals briefed on the situation told Reuters the system in question was LOCUST — a mobile, 20-kilowatt-class laser weapon designed specifically to counter small unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
The FAA’s sudden move to restrict airspace around El Paso caught local officials and aviation stakeholders off guard. While the restrictions were lifted after a short duration, the episode has sparked scrutiny from lawmakers and triggered debate about the expanding use of directed energy weapons on U.S. soil.
LOCUST — short for Low-Cost Unmanned Aerial System Swarm Technology — was originally developed by BlueHalo before the company was acquired by AeroVironment last year. The system was built to counter the growing proliferation of small drones, particularly those used for surveillance, smuggling, or reconnaissance.
The southern border has seen a sharp rise in drone activity in recent years. Mexican drug cartels routinely deploy small commercial and modified drones to monitor U.S. Border Patrol movements, guide smuggling operations, and in some cases, carry small payloads of narcotics across the border.
Official statements from the administration have said that the recent airspace clampdown was triggered by a response to a cross-border incursion involving drones operated by cartels. However, subsequent reporting has cast doubt on aspects of that narrative.
A report from CBS News indicated that a laser anti-drone system had been activated near the southern border to shoot down what appeared to be foreign drones. The object reportedly turned out to be a party balloon. One balloon was said to have been destroyed using the laser system, while additional balloons were also engaged.
Other outlets, citing anonymous officials, reported that at least one cartel-operated drone was successfully disabled during the same timeframe, though precise details remain unclear.
Speculation that LOCUST systems might be deployed along the southern border intensified last July, when the U.S. military released images showing Army personnel assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB) conducting sling-load training with a LOCUST mounted on a 4×4 M1301 Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) at Fort Bliss.
Established in March 2025, JTF-SB oversees a surge in military support for border security operations. Fort Bliss, located in El Paso, serves as a key operational hub for those efforts. The installation is also home to the 1st Armored Division and numerous Army air defense units.
As of December 2025, the Army had reportedly taken delivery of LOCUST systems in at least three configurations: an ISV-mounted version, a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)-mounted version, and a palletized system known as the Palletized-High Energy Laser (P-HEL). Two of the palletized variants were deployed overseas in 2022 to undisclosed locations.
The full scope of LOCUST’s operational use — whether abroad or domestically — remains unclear.
At its core, LOCUST employs a 20-kilowatt-class solid-state laser. While this places it at the lower end of the power spectrum for modern military laser weapons, it is considered sufficient for engaging small drones at short ranges.
The turreted system integrates electro-optical and infrared cameras for target acquisition and tracking. It can also be cued by onboard high-frequency radars and passive radio frequency detection systems, as well as external radar networks. Both the ISV and JLTV-mounted versions include compact radar systems to assist in detecting small aerial threats.
Once locked onto a target, the laser must dwell on a specific point long enough to burn through structural components, disable propulsion systems, or ignite internal batteries. Unlike kinetic interceptors, which explode on impact, lasers rely on sustained energy transfer to achieve destructive effects.
This creates inherent limitations. A laser can engage only one target at a time, and lower-powered systems require longer dwell times. Environmental factors such as dust, humidity, smoke, and atmospheric distortion can further degrade beam effectiveness. As the beam travels, its power dissipates, restricting effective range — typically to a few miles at most.
Earlier versions of LOCUST were described as 10-kilowatt systems. Demonstrations have shown variants reaching 26 kilowatts, though it is unclear how much additional power can be integrated within the existing vehicle-mounted form factor.
Emerging reports suggest that a breakdown in coordination between the Army, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the FAA may have played a significant role in the decision to close the airspace over El Paso.
CBP personnel have reportedly been operating the laser systems along the border under an agreement with the military. This arrangement introduces complex legal and operational questions about domestic use of military-grade directed energy weapons.
Senator Ted Cruz said his office was working to gather more information about the incident. “I’m hopeful more details can be publicly shared in the coming days on interagency coordination,” he wrote on social media.
Representative Veronica Escobar, who represents the El Paso area, criticized what she described as misinformation and administrative incompetence. “To be clear: this was the result of incompetence at the highest levels of the administration,” she posted.
The FAA has not provided a detailed public explanation for the precise operational trigger that led to the temporary flight restrictions. Aviation experts note that lasers aimed skyward — even at relatively low power — can pose risks to civilian aircraft if not carefully coordinated. Although LOCUST is designed to focus energy tightly on specific targets, the mere presence of active directed energy operations near controlled airspace would typically require advance notice and safety protocols.
The U.S. military has repeatedly acknowledged the technical hurdles involved in fielding operational laser weapons. Sensitivity to vibration, fragile optics, cooling requirements, and environmental conditions — especially dust and sand common in desert regions like West Texas — all complicate deployment.
In 2024, then-Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Doug Bush told the Senate Armed Services Committee that certain fixed-site laser deployments were “proving successful” for some users, likely referencing overseas palletized systems.
Still, officials consistently stress that lasers are not a silver bullet. They are intended to form one layer in a broader defensive network that includes electronic warfare systems, high-power microwave weapons, kinetic interceptors, and advanced radar arrays.
High-power microwave systems, in particular, offer advantages against drone swarms by disabling multiple targets simultaneously. By contrast, a single laser system’s one-at-a-time engagement model can be a limitation in saturation scenarios.
The El Paso incident underscores the broader challenge posed by small drones. These platforms are often difficult to detect due to their small radar cross-sections and low-altitude flight profiles. Commercially available quadcopters can be modified easily and deployed cheaply, creating asymmetric threats.
Along the southern border, drones have become a near-daily feature of cartel operations. While most carry cameras, some have transported narcotics or conducted reconnaissance for human smuggling routes.
The rapid normalization of drone incursions has driven interest in advanced counter-UAS technologies. The use — or attempted use — of LOCUST near El Paso suggests that military-grade solutions are increasingly being integrated into domestic security missions.
The controversy surrounding the El Paso airspace shutdown highlights tension between operational urgency and regulatory oversight. The FAA’s mandate to ensure aviation safety intersects with military and homeland security imperatives, sometimes producing friction.
For the Army and NORTHCOM, deploying advanced counter-drone capabilities along the border reflects a broader shift in homeland defense posture. Yet such deployments also carry political sensitivities, especially when high-energy weapons are used near civilian infrastructure.
While many details remain murky — including whether cartel drones were engaged successfully or whether the primary targets were misidentified balloons — the episode demonstrates how emerging technologies can generate unintended consequences when institutional coordination falters.
As more information becomes available, the El Paso case may serve as a test bed for refining policies governing domestic use of directed energy systems.
What is already clear is that systems like LOCUST, once viewed as experimental or niche, are now moving into routine operational roles. Their presence along the U.S.-Mexico border reflects both the persistence of the drone threat and the Pentagon’s determination to address it with cutting-edge tools.
Whether that approach proves sustainable — operationally, legally, and politically — remains an open question.
