The US military used a high-energy laser system this week to
shoot down three drones linked to Mexican drug cartels operating near the
border in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas.
According to US officials, the shootouts occurred between
Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. The Army Multipurpose High Energy
Laser (AMP-HEL), a directed-energy system designed to counter unmanned aerial
threats, was used to neutralize the drones.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and US
Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) confirmed the operation and stated that the
drones posed a physical threat to US military personnel and Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) officers. Major General Curtis Taylor, commander of Joint Task
Force Southern, stated that criminal organizations are increasingly using
unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to facilitate illicit activities, including human
trafficking, as well as to conduct surveillance on U.S. military personnel and
authorities.
This incident represents a new development in the use of directed-energy
technology to combat drones used by criminal organizations. Unlike conventional
systems that employ munitions to destroy drones, high-energy lasers allow these
targets to be attacked with concentrated beams of energy.
U.S. authorities have not disclosed the exact location of
the incidents nor have they publicly clarified whether the three drones were
neutralized over U.S. or Mexican territory. This point is particularly relevant
given the sovereignty implications of any U.S. military operation within
Mexico.