US Military Fires Anti-Drone Laser At Border Patrol Drone

The staggering levels of incompetence within the Trump administration have reached a new level. Only weeks after shutting down El Paso airspace due to Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) firing an anti-drone laser at some balloons, that very same laser was used again on Thursday and actually took down a drone. There’s only one small problem: the drone was being operated by CBP. 

Doesn’t it just make you feel safer knowing these are the people who are in charge of protecting the United States from threats? 

According to AP, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) closed the airspace around Fort Hancock, about 50 miles southeast of El Paso, after the U.S. military fired the laser. The FAA, CBP, and the Pentagon released a joint statement on Friday confirming that the military “employed counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities to mitigate a seemingly threatening unmanned aerial system operating within military airspace.” The Pentagon added that the laser was used “far away from populated areas and there was no commercial aircraft in the vicinity.”

“At President Trump’s direction, the Department of War, the FAA, and Customs and Border Patrol are working together in an unprecedented fashion to mitigate drone threats by Mexican cartels and foreign terrorist organizations at the U.S.-Mexico Border,” the statement said.

I don’t know how they can come out thumping their chest like they’re working in lockstep with one another, when they literally just shot down a drone operated by CBP. That’s the opposite of collaboration; that’s pure dysfunction. 

While the statement went on to say that “the agencies will continue to work on increased cooperation and communication to prevent such incidents in the future,” it’s alarming that a chain of communication hadn’t already been established. If I want to write about something at NewsOne, I have to communicate that to my lovely editor before I get to cracking. When I was a producer, there was a clear line of communication from my showrunner to me to the folks I had to direct on set, so everyone was on the same page. Mind you, these are jobs where I reported the news and yapped about video games for a living, not firing actual lasers. 

What makes this even more insane is that it’s only been two weeks since the FAA caused a panic in El Paso when it announced a 10-day flight restriction over El Paso’s airspace due to CBP using the very same laser to fire at some party balloons. Maybe it’s time to revoke everyone’s laser privileges since they can’t seem to use them responsibly. 

The Guardian reports that the news that the U.S military fired on one of the nation’s own drones has understandably outraged several congressional Democrats. U.S. representatives Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), and André Carson (D-Ind.) released a statement saying that “our heads are exploding over the news.”

The statement said the FAA “sidestepped” a bipartisan bill that would’ve provided drone operators with more training and facilitated better communication among the FAA, CBP, and the Pentagon. “Now we’re seeing the results of its incompetence,” the trio added.

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), the ranking member on the Senate’s Aviation Subcommittee, has called for an independent investigation as a result of both incidents. “The Trump administration’s incompetence continues to cause chaos in our skies,” Duckworth said.

There appears to be some degree of conflict between the FAA and the Pentagon, as Reuters reports that the FAA wants to halt the use of the laser until further safety reviews are conducted. The Pentagon and CBP told congressional aides they believe they don’t need FAA approval to fire the laser. So the Pentagon would rather allow incidents like this to continue than pursue a path of mutual collaboration. 

I love that for us. 

SEE ALSO:

Questions Arise After FAA Abruptly Closes Then Reopens El Paso Airport

FAA Shut Down El Paso Airspace To Fire A Laser At Party Balloons