After Airspace Snafus, Pentagon And Faa Agree To Conduct Anti-drone Laser Tests In New Mexico

The Pentagon and nan Federal Aviation Administration agreed to behaviour anti-drone laser tests successful New Mexico aft nan military’s deployment of nan lasers led nan FAA to abruptly adjacent airspace successful Texas doubly successful nan past month.

The recently announced testing was being carried retired to “specifically reside FAA information concerns,” nan subject said Friday successful a statement. It was to return spot complete nan play astatine nan White Sands Missile Range successful New Mexico.

Lawmakers were concerned astir an evident deficiency of coordination aft nan Pentagon allowed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to usage an anti-drone laser successful early February without notifying nan FAA. The national agency that ensures information successful nan skies decided to adjacent nan airspace complete El Paso for a fewer hours, stranding travelers.

The Trump management said it was moving to halt an incursion by Mexican cartel drones, which are not uncommon on nan confederate border.

On Feb. 26 nan U.S. subject said it utilized nan laser to sprout down a “seemingly threatening” drone flying adjacent nan U.S.-Mexico border. It turned retired nan drone belonged to Customs and Border Protection, lawmakers said.

The incident led nan FAA to adjacent nan airspace astir Ft. Hancock, astir 50 miles southeast of El Paso.

“We admit nan coordination pinch nan Department of War to thief guarantee nationalist safety,” nan FAA said of nan testing successful a abstracted statement, referring to nan Department of Defense. “The FAA and DOW are moving pinch interagency partners to reside emerging threats posed by unmanned craft systems while maintaining nan information of nan National Airspace System.”

The subject is required to formally notify nan FAA erstwhile it takes immoderate counter-drone action wrong U.S. airspace.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), nan ranking personnel connected nan Senate’s aviation subcommittee, antecedently called for an independent investigation aft nan 2 February incidents.

Ding writes for nan Associated Press.