U.S. officials have scheduled a classified briefing for key senators on Wednesday in response to two recent Texas incidents involving government drones that resulted in Federal Aviation Administration airspace restrictions, senators said.
According to the senators, the actions follow an episode on Feb. 25 in which the U.S. military mistakenly shot down a government drone using a laser-based anti-drone system. That event led the FAA to expand a zone around Fort Hancock, Texas, where flights are barred.
Separately, on Feb. 18 the FAA initially ordered a 10-day suspension of all flights at the El Paso, Texas, airport. That halt was reversed roughly eight hours after it was announced. The FAA attributed its actions to the deployment of a high-energy laser system by the Customs and Border Protection agency, used near the Mexican border to counter drone threats.
The classified briefing for senators is intended to address the circumstances of these incidents and the FAA responses. Officials have said the FAA's adjustments to airspace restrictions were connected directly to the use and effects of high-energy counter-drone systems by federal agencies operating along the border.
Lawmakers and aviation stakeholders are expected to focus on operational safety and the coordination between military and civilian agencies, given that the incidents temporarily affected commercial and other civilian flights in the region. The FAA's rapid reversal of the El Paso flight suspension after about eight hours underscores the fluidity of the situation.
Context and immediate facts
- On Feb. 25 the U.S. military shot down a government drone with a laser-based anti-drone system, prompting the FAA to expand a no-fly area around Fort Hancock, Texas.
- On Feb. 18 the FAA initially halted all flights at El Paso airport for 10 days, then lifted that order after about eight hours; the action was prompted by Customs and Border Protection's use of a high-energy laser system near the Mexican border.
- A classified briefing for senators is scheduled for Wednesday to address these events and FAA airspace actions.
The briefing will review what federal agencies did and the FAA's subsequent airspace decisions. At the time of the briefing, officials will be constrained to the facts of the incidents as previously reported.