The U.S. military destroyed three drones believed to be operating for Mexican cartels earlier this week, using a high-energy laser weapon to bring them down along the southern border. The uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) were eliminated by an Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser System operated by U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
Military officials say cartel networks are increasingly turning to drones to support illegal operations. “Cartel networks are increasingly employing unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate illicit human-smuggling and actively spy on our personnel and law enforcement partners,” said Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of the southern border’s Joint Task Force. “By integrating layered countermeasures alongside advanced directed-energy capabilities like this laser system, we have made it clear that we will not tolerate hostile surveillance.”
It remains unclear whether the drones were downed over American or Mexican airspace. A military spokesperson said the actions “were taken in coordination with all partners operating along the border.” Officials declined to release further details about the recent shoot-downs, citing operational security and ongoing operations.
A pattern of laser weapon use in American airspace
This is not the first time directed-energy weapons have been used to defend U.S. airspace. In February, the Pentagon deployed a similar system after detecting and shooting down unknown aerial targets. That incident forced the emergency closure of a major airport and caused significant disruptions, and the targets were later reported to be party balloons. A separate incident weeks later resulted in an actual drone being shot down, though it turned out to belong to Customs and Border Protection rather than a hostile cartel operator.
Why lasers are becoming the preferred anti-drone tool
The United States is not alone in fielding drone defenses. The UK plans to deploy its DragonFire laser weapon on Royal Navy destroyers by 2027, while China has developed a backpack-sized, man-portable anti-drone laser capable of hitting targets up to 1,600 feet away.
Although these systems are expensive to acquire, they are far cheaper to operate than traditional man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS). Each laser shot can cost as little as EUR 11, compared with the thousands to millions of dollars required for missiles, making lasers more economical for countering drones. The battlefield value of drones has been highlighted by Ukrainian forces defending against the much larger Russian military. Civilians can also purchase basic laser systems for around EUR 859 to guard against flying insects.
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Image: tomshardware.com
