The U.S. military reports a 75% drop in suspicious drone activity along the Rio Grande Valley border within two weeks of deploying a high-energy laser weapon system. The AeroVironment LOCUST system made its debut on August 25 and 26, 2026, downing three drones. Cartels use these drones to survey U.S. patrols for smuggling. While weather limits laser effectiveness, the $3-per-shot cost offers a highly efficient defense, prompting a recent $465 million Army contract.
Military laser weapon deployment
- ▪The U.S. military high-energy laser weapon system made its operational debut by downing three drones on August 25 and 26, 2026.
- ▪The U.S. military has stopped 300 cartel-linked drones since the beginning of 2026, including 11 downed by the high-energy laser weapon system over a 10-day span.
- ▪The U.S. military recorded a roughly 75% decrease in suspicious drone activity probing the southern border in the Rio Grande Valley within two weeks of deploying a high-energy laser weapon system.
- ▪The U.S. Army deployed a version of the LOCUST high-energy laser weapon system, which is produced by the defense technology company AeroVironment.
Cartel drone surveillance operations
- ▪Army Lieutenant Colonel Ray Richards stated that disrupting cartel drone capabilities by 75% inflicts a significant financial impact on cartel smuggling operations.
- ▪Drug cartels operate drones along the U.S.-Mexico border to survey the locations of U.S. service members and law enforcement to facilitate human and drug smuggling.
Laser system effectiveness limitations
- ▪U.S. Navy Admiral Daryl Caudle published an opinion piece in The Washington Post advocating for increased investment in high-energy laser weapons despite their atmospheric limitations.
- ▪High-energy laser weapons are less effective in adverse atmospheric conditions, such as rain or vapor, which can reduce the power of the laser beam.
Counter-drone technology costs
- ▪An individual high-energy laser weapon unit costs between $17.4 million and $25 million, while each laser shot costs approximately $3 to fire.
- ▪The U.S. Army awarded its first-ever production contract for an enduring high-energy laser system to AeroVironment, valued at $465 million.
FAA coordination safety protocols
- ▪U.S. military units coordinate with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that border-deployed laser weapons do not pose a safety risk to civilian aircraft.
- ▪A dispute over military drone-related testing and a party balloon shoot-down led the Federal Aviation Administration to briefly shut down El Paso's airport earlier in 2026.
Armed drone threat Mexico
- ▪A report from the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center found that cartel armed drone incidents inside Mexico caused 77 fatalities across 221 incidents between 2021 and 2025.
- ▪U.S. military officials are monitoring cartel armed drone tactics in Mexico as a potential threat to the roughly 8,000 U.S. service members deployed along the southern border.
Story comments
Loading comments…