United States
Australia
United Kingdom
Europe
New Zealand
Canada
Joint Task Force–Southern Border has employed a new Army high-energy laser to bring down unauthorized drones along the U.S.-Mexico border, downing 11 cartel-linked aircraft since Aug. 24 and contributing to more than 300 unmanned aircraft defeats this year, including over 100 in August.
Operating under U.S. Northern Command in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the task force introduced the Army Multipurpose High-Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) into border operations on Aug. 24. As of Sept. 4, service members had used the system to defeat 11 unmanned aircraft assessed to be connected to illicit activity.
“JTF Southern Border’s combined arms approach and fusion with mission partners is delivering a new layer of homeland defense capability to counter illegal activity on the border,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM. “Frontline troops have the right authorities and are leveraging a highly capable network to thwart threats to the forces conducting the territorial integrity mission.”
The task force assesses that transnational criminal organizations employ drones to facilitate illegal cross-border activity, including smuggling operations and surveillance of law-enforcement and military personnel.
The Army acquired the AMP-HEL in September 2025 as part of an effort to develop and field scalable directed-energy capabilities against drones and other aerial threats. JTF-SB integrated the mobile directed-energy system into its layered defense in August 2026 to counter risks to personnel and support border-security operations.
The deployment reflects the task force’s ability to incorporate emerging technology into ongoing missions and adapt to evolving threats.
More than 8,000 service members are deployed with JTF-SB across terrain spanning approximately 1,954 miles of the southern border. Since assuming the mission in March 2025, personnel have reinforced hundreds of miles with wire obstacles; conducted tens of thousands of detection and monitoring patrols, including patrols coordinated with Mexican military personnel; executed thousands of observation flights; and cleared vegetation in remote areas.
These measures have enhanced CBP’s situational awareness, improved response times, and supported efforts to disrupt illicit cross-border activity.
