The Pentagon said Friday it will conduct testing over the weekend in New Mexico with the FAA involving a high-energy counter-drone laser. According to Reuters, the testing will focus on evaluating how the system interacts with aircraft materials and on validating built-in safety mechanisms. The Defense Department said the event will also help collect information relevant to broader flight safety considerations.
“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 Pentagon said.
U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Steve Bradbury told Reuters the testing will help regulators determine appropriate operational parameters for the technology as the military looks to deploy the technology more broadly.
“If we don’t have that we’ll need to close airspace or at least restrict airspace as necessary,” Bradbury said.
The testing follows two recent incidents involving laser-based counter-drone systems near the Texas border.
In one case, the U.S. military shot down a U.S. Customs and Border Protection drone near Fort Hancock using a high-energy laser, and the FAA subsequently issued flight restrictions in the area. Earlier in February, the FAA temporarily halted air traffic around El Paso International Airport before lifting the restrictions hours later after concerns related to counter-drone activity and airspace safety.
“They have a critically important job to do and we have a critically important job to do and we need to coordinate so both jobs are getting done.”
Finally sense prevails.