Tracking Heseth and Rubio
The objections to this decision stem from the fact that deploying lasers in the area would add complexity to the crowded airspace over Washington. The laser system, known as LOCUST, has been the subject of a long-running debate between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has expressed safety concerns about its use along the Mexican border, and the Pentagon, which has expressed willingness to deploy it to combat drone infiltration by drug traffickers.
The FAA representative said that her agency is interested in working with the Pentagon and other entities “to protect the homeland while maintaining the safety of the national airspace.” The army representative said that she is aware of reports of drones in the Fort McNair area and the surrounding area, and that the joint team has increased its activity against drones “to protect soldiers and civilians working and living at Fort McNair”, but she did not specifically refer to the use of lasers.
Warning to pilots
At the same time, the FAA is considering issuing a Notice to Pilots (NOTAM) informing them that they should exercise caution when flying in the El Paso area if they do not operate position transmission technology on airplanes. This technology will provide laser operators with additional information about the location of nearby aircraft, which can feed into the laser’s control system to protect the aircraft.