FAA Shuts Down Airspace After U.S. Military Laser Downs CBP Drone Over Texas
Topline
The U.S. military accidentally shot down a drone operated by Customs and Border Protection using a laser weapon on Thursday, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to shut down airspace over a region in Texas near the Mexican border, in a repeat of a similar airspace shutdown over the state earlier this month following the use of a laser weapon.
A drone operated by Customs And Border Protection was accidentally shot down by the U.S. military.
Getty Images
Key Facts
The shoot down was first reported by Reuters, citing Congressional aides, and later confirmed by Democrats on the House’s subcommittees overseeing transportation and Homeland Security.
In a statement, Reps. Rick Larsen, D-Wash. Bennie Thomson, D-Miss., and Andre Carson, D-Ind., said: “Our heads are exploding over the news that DoD reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high-risk counter-unmanned aircraft system.”
The congressmen, who are the top Democrats on House committees overseeing transportation and Homeland Security, attacked the White House for sidestepping a “bipartisan, tri-committee bill” to properly train anti-drone weapon operators and failing to “address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, DHS and the FAA.”
The FAA has responded to the shoot-down by issuing a notice to shut down airspace over a border region in West Texas, near Fort Hancock, which will remain in effect for nearly four months.
According to a preliminary internal report cited by the New York Times, CBP purportedly failed to notify the Defense Department about the drone flight in the area and the military shot it down believing it to be an unknown drone.
What Do We Know About The Faa’s Notice?
According to the FAA’s notice to airmen (NOTAM), the airspace shutdown will remain in effect till June 24, and the reason mentioned is “Temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons.” The NOTAM says “no pilots may operate an aircraft” over the restricted airspace and asks special medevac/air ambulance flights or search and rescue flights to contact its Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center. It is unclear if this airspace shutdown will impact commercial flight schedules in the region.
What Have Federal Agencies Said About The Shootdown?
In a joint statement shared with multiple outlets the Pentagon, CBP and FAA said: “This reported engagement occurred when the Department of War employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace. The engagement took place far away from populated areas and there were no commercial aircraft in the vicinity.” The agencies said the were working together “in an unprecedented fashion” on President Donald Trump’s orders to “mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico Border.”
Chief Critic
In a statement on X, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., the senior most Democrat on the Senate’s aviation subcommittee, wrote: “It’s this kind of failure to communicate between DoD and FAA that led to the tragic loss of life above DCA. It’s also deeply troubling to once again learn about this chaos in the news—rather than through official channels. This situation is alarming and demands a thorough, independent investigation. I’ll be calling on the IGs of DoD, DOT and DHS to launch a joint investigation immediately.”
Key Background
Earlier this month, the FAA announced that the airspace over El Paso would be shut down for 10 days due to “Special Security Reasons.” The sudden announcement forced the El Paso Airport to briefly halt all flight operations and drew questions and criticism from local officials and Democratic lawmakers. The shutdown was eventually lifted the next day and the Trump administration claimed it had been implemented due to a “cartel drone incursion.” However, the New York Times reported the military was conducting tests of counter-drone measures in the area and used a high-energy laser to target what turned out to be a mylar party balloon.
Further Reading
El Paso Airspace Closure Was Over Plans To Use Laser Weapon—Which Previously Targeted Party Balloon (Forbes)
First Appeared on
Source link
