"Congressional representatives told the media Friday that they were briefed on a recent incident in which the Department of Defense utilized some of the same laser anti-drone technology to shoot down another object near the Mexican border ... which turned out to be one of Border Patrol's own drones. And like the previous incident, they once again seemingly didn't coordinate with the FAA, which resulted in the FAA implementing a "temporary flight restriction" starting Thursday evening above the town of Fort Hancock, Texas."
"That laser technology was apparently used against a perceived threat that the Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy claimed was a Mexican cartel drone incursion, but CBS News later reported may have in fact been ... a party balloon. That caused the entire area's airspace to be shut down without warning, for what was initially announced as "10 days," and then lifted only hours later."
"it suggests that the military and the FAA (and DHS, with Border Patrol) all have zero idea of what the other is doing, and that the FAA believes this is putting all the rest of us at risk."
Two recent incidents near the Mexican border reveal dangerous coordination failures between the Department of Defense, Border Patrol, and the FAA. The first incident involved an airspace shutdown around El Paso after a laser was used against what officials claimed was a cartel drone but was likely a party balloon. A second incident occurred near Fort Hancock, Texas, where the same laser technology destroyed a Border Patrol drone without FAA notification, triggering another temporary flight restriction. These incidents demonstrate that military and civilian aviation authorities lack communication protocols, creating safety risks for commercial flights and other aircraft in the region.
#faa-coordination-failures #laser-anti-drone-technology #airspace-safety #border-security-incidents #military-civilian-communication
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