U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. James Brooks, an infantry rifleman, with the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB) in support of Operation Ardent Vanguard, patrols the southern border in Tecate, California, Aug. 25, 2026. Patrols help deter illegal crossing of the southern border. U.S. Northern Command is working side-by-side with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection within narrowly defined authorities to provide unique military capabilities to protect the territorial integrity of the U.S. southern border. (Dept. of Defense photo by Sgt. Nathan Hislop)
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Aguilar, members of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the Federal Aviation Administration, and key leaders from White Sands Missile Range, N.M., support a high-energy laser test using the AMP-HEL system March 7, 2026. (Courtesy Photo)
“Following a thorough, data-informed Safety Risk Assessment, we determined that these systems do not present an increased risk to the flying public,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Aguilar, members of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the Federal Aviation Administration, and key leaders from White Sands Missile Range, N.M., support a high-energy laser test using the AMP-HEL system March 7, 2026. (Courtesy Photo)
JIATF 401 and the FAA, along with about half a dozen other agencies, conducted the test between March 7-8, an evaluation fast-tracked by back-to-back incidents involving counter-drone…
A U.S. Soldier, assigned to 277th Maintenance Support Company, Task Force Badger, surveys the southern border at Del Rio, Texas, March 6, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Walker Pino)
A senior defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told DefenseScoop Wednesday that the Pentagon’s counter-drone entity — known as Joint Interagency Task Force 401 —…