The U.S. Army Shot Down 3 Cartel-Linked Drones with a Laser on the Texas Border

The 20-kilowatt weapon marks a striking step from test range to real-world defense.

For the longest time, military lasers have been weapons of the near future. We’ve been teased with what looked like impressive tests on ranges, only to later learn how difficult they can be to turn into something soldiers could reliably use in the field. Last week, though, the future moved to the Texas border.

During the night of Aug. 25 and early hours of Aug. 26, U.S. troops in the Rio Grande Valley used a high-energy laser to bring down three drones that the military said posed a physical threat to American personnel and Customs and Border Protection agents.

The Army described it as the first use of the system against suspected cartel-linked drones along the southern border. The practice will likely become routine soon enough.

But why now? They say necessity is the mother of invention. In this case, I’m referring to the necessity of countering cheap drones that cannot be shot down by traditional air defense. Instead of launching an expensive missile or spraying the sky with gunfire, the Army used an electrically powered beam of light.

The military has not disclosed the precise location of the engagements, what types of drones it destroyed or who operated them. It said only that their behavior supported activities threatening personnel. The Army said the aircraft were believed to have links to drug cartels.

“Cartel networks are increasingly employing unmanned aircraft systems to facilitate illicit human smuggling and actively spy on our personnel and law enforcement partners,” Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of Joint Task Force Southern Border, said in a statement.

“By integrating layered countermeasures alongside advanced directed-energy capabilities like this laser system, we have made it clear that we will not tolerate hostile surveillance. We also greatly appreciate the support of our Mexican Army partners as we work together to combat this threat to the border region.”

How do you shoot down a drone with light?

The Army identified the weapon as its Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser, or AMP-HEL. The prototypes use AeroVironment’s LOCUST laser system, which produces a beam in the 20-kilowatt class.

×

Get smarter every day...

Stay ahead with ZME Science and subscribe.

Daily Newsletter
The science you need to know, every weekday.

Weekly Newsletter
A week in science, all in one place. Sends every Sunday.
No spam, ever. Unsubscribe anytime. Review our Privacy Policy.

Thank you! One more thing...

Please check your inbox and confirm your subscription.

Sensors first locate and track a target, then precisely aim the laser. By holding concentrated light on a vulnerable part of the aircraft, the system deposits enough energy to heat and damage its structure, electronics, battery or other components.

AeroVironment delivered the Army’s first two AMP-HEL prototypes in September 2025, mounting LOCUST systems on Infantry Squad Vehicles. In December, the company delivered two more systems on Joint Light Tactical Vehicles. Those newer versions use a larger beam director and integrate radar and command-and-control equipment.

The main reason why such weapons exist is because of the growing threat of asymmetric threats. A conventional interceptor missile may cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, whereas enemy drones that can do a lot of damage can be as cheap as a couple thousand dollars. A laser can keep firing as long as its power and cooling systems can support it, making each additional shot comparatively inexpensive.

The Pentagon has been preparing for this for years. The Army received four much more powerful 50-kilowatt laser prototypes mounted on Stryker vehicles beginning in 2023 and has repeatedly tested them against drones. Army exercises in 2025 included laser systems facing drone swarms. Cheap drones seen in conflicts around the world, especially in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, have made the cost mismatch between attackers and traditional air defenses increasingly difficult to ignore.

Lasers, however, come with their own weaknesses. The U.S. Government Accountability Office notes that fog, storms, airborne particles and longer distances can weaken or distort laser beams. A laser also generally attacks one target at a time and must keep its beam accurately trained on that target long enough to damage it.

A successful shot after two embarrassing mistakes

While the military trumpeted the recent event as a major success, earlier uses of anti-drone lasers in Texas went badly.

RelatedPosts

Mobile app lets soldiers order an airstrike via their android smartphone
A Texas Farmer Provided 87 Acres for a Park. The City Sold It Off to Build a Data Center
The US Air Force Just Unveiled Its First Unmanned Fighter Drones
AI on the Front Lines: How Artificial Intelligence Is Reinventing Battlefield Medicine in Ukraine

In February, Department of Homeland Security personnel used a Pentagon-provided anti-drone laser near Fort Bliss to shoot down an object that was later reported to be a party balloon. Confusion over the weapon’s use helped prompt the FAA to abruptly close airspace around El Paso International Airport.

Later that month, a U.S. military-operated laser system mistakenly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone near Fort Hancock, Texas, triggering another temporary airspace restriction. The two incidents highlighted a problem that has little to do with whether lasers can destroy drones: making sure operators correctly identify their targets and coordinate with other agencies before firing.

Just days before the latest shootdown, Brig. Gen. Matt Ross told reporters that proving lasers could destroy drones was no longer the main question.

“We have a number of systems, and we’ve proven that the science works,” Ross said during an Aug. 21 Army media briefing. “You can defeat a drone with both a high-energy laser and a high-power microwave. But we need to figure out how to use them successfully in an operational context.”