The US Military’s First Confirmed Laser Kill

A case of laser weapon friendly fire at the US-Mexico border reveals a dangerous coordination gap in the US government’s domestic counter-drone enterprise.

US soldiers assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border prepare to sling load an M1301 Infantry Squad Vehicle outfitted with a LOCUST Laser Weapon System to a CH-47 Chinook at Fort Bliss, Texas, on July 16, 2025. (US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Rynishia Lewis)

A United States military high-energy laser weapon has finally achieved a publicly confirmed dron…