Army border laser defeats 11 cartel-linked drones since late August
U.S. Northern Command says an Army laser has defeated eleven drones connected to cartel activity along the Mexico border since the AMP-HEL system, built by AeroVironment $AVAV, entered operations on August 24. The wider border task force has defeated more than 300 drones this year combining lasers with other systems, over 100 of them in August alone. Northern Command has not defined what counts as a defeat or disclosed how many drones were destroyed versus disabled.
U.S. Northern Command says an Army laser, the AMP-HEL system built around AeroVironment's $AVAV 20-kilowatt LOCUST laser, has defeated eleven drones assessed as connected to cartel activity along the Mexico border since entering operations on August 24. The wider Joint Task Force-Southern Border has defeated more than 300 unauthorized drones in 2026 through a mix of lasers and other systems, over 100 of them in August alone. Northern Command has not defined what officially counts as a 'defeat,' and has not disclosed how many of the eleven drones were destroyed versus disabled or diverted. The program already had one earlier misfire this year: in February the military mistakenly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone near Fort Hancock and separately downed Mylar balloons mistaken for threats, prompting a temporary airspace closure and calls from senators for a classified briefing.