The Pentagon is weighing whether to deploy a powerful anti-drone laser system near a Washington military base where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio live after reports of unusual drone activity in the area, according to a report from The New York Times.
The Army is considering placing the system — known as LOCUST — near Fort Lesley J. McNair in southwest Washington, the Times reported, citing people briefed on the matter. Officials have grown concerned after drones were spotted in the airspace around the base, raising fears of possible surveillance targeting two of the country’s top national security officials at a time when the United States is at war with Iran.
Deploying the system in the nation’s capital could also reignite tensions between the Pentagon and federal aviation regulators. The Federal Aviation Administration has previously warned that such laser systems could pose risks to aircraft operating in busy airspace — a particularly sensitive issue in Washington, where Reagan National Airport sits roughly two miles from the base.
The FAA has faced heightened scrutiny over aviation safety since a deadly midair collision over the Potomac River last year killed 67 people. Aviation officials are now carefully reviewing whether the laser technology could endanger nearby aircraft or pilots’ vision if deployed in densely traveled air corridors.
The dispute mirrors an ongoing clash between the Pentagon and the FAA over using the LOCUST system along the U.S.-Mexico border, where the military hopes to counter drones operated by drug cartels. Regulators have raised concerns about the possibility of injury to civilians or damage to aircraft if the technology is used improperly.
According to the Times, the disagreement escalated earlier this month during a White House national security meeting led by Rubio, where Defense Department officials pushed aviation regulators to approve wider use of the system.
The laser has already been tested in demonstrations, including one in which it was fired at a jet aircraft during a controlled exercise. Defense officials said the test caused no structural damage to the plane.
Still, aviation regulators have continued to study the technology amid growing pressure to tighten air safety oversight following several recent aviation accidents.
President Donald Trump has also praised the emerging technology, calling laser weapons a cheaper and more effective alternative to traditional interceptor missiles such as the Patriot system.