A U.S. Army soldier with 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB), monitors the southern border through binoculars during a patrol in Yuma, Az., Jan. 5, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Sawyer Carleton)
Over two days this week, Joint Task Force-Southern Border used the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser system to engage three "hostile" UAS, according to a press release.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman John Ives, 90th Ground Combat Training Squadron defender, pilots a drone during an X4 and SMASH 2000L Systems Firing Qualification at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center’s North Training Area, Wyoming, May 15, 2026. The drone carried balloon targets to help operators practice acquiring, tracking and engaging simulated aerial threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael A. Richmond)
U.S. Air Force Airmen attach balloons to a drone during at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center’s North Training Area, Wyoming, May 15, 2026. The balloons served as aerial targets, allowing defenders to simulate engagements against small unmanned aircraft systems. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael A. Richmond)
Army Staff Sgt. Kristopher Runyon, assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border, aims a Dronebuster Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft System (C-sUAS) during a patrol along the Rio Grande River near Eagle Pass, Texas, June 14, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Adrianna Douglas)
U.S. Air Force Airmen attach balloons to a drone during an X4 and SMASH 2000L Systems Firing Qualification at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center’s North Training Area, Wyoming, May 15, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael A. Richmond)
U.S. service members and civilian contractors with CACI work at the operations center during the SkyValor Operational Demonstration at Cannon Air Defense Complex in Yuma, Arizona, May 13, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah E. Foster)
The system will be deployed to “critical,” but unspecified sites, including as part of an initial task order for the Pentagon’s Domestic Shield initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a drone demonstration at the Pentagon, July 10, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Alondra Y. Lopez Gonzalez)
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a drone demonstration at the Pentagon, July 10, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Isaac Llanez Delgado)
The proposed Robotic and Autonomous Systems Combatant Command would have special test and evaluation authorities, as well as limited acquisition authorities to streamline capability delivery.
