Joel Rose

Joel Rose, NPR News.

The FAA and the Pentagon say they've completed a thorough safety assessment of a high-energy counter-drone laser system.

and that these systems do not pose, quote, undue risk to passenger aircraft, unquote.

But the FAA was not sure about that back in February.

The agency briefly shut down the airspace around El Paso after the Pentagon permitted U.S.

Customs and Border Protection to use a counter-drone laser system before the FAA had completed its safety review.

The FAA later shut down a smaller area in West Texas after a similar incident.

In coordinated press releases, the FAA and the Pentagon say they've completed that safety review after watching demonstrations of the system last month.

Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.

The FAA and the Pentagon say they've completed a thorough safety assessment of a high-energy counterdrone laser system.

and that these systems do not pose, quote, undue risk to passenger aircraft, unquote.

But the FAA was not sure about that back in February.

The agency briefly shut down the airspace around El Paso after the Pentagon permitted U.S.

Customs and Border Protection to use a counter-drone laser system before the FAA had completed its safety review.

The FAA later shut down a smaller area in West Texas after a similar incident.

In coordinated press releases, the FAA and the Pentagon say they've completed that safety review after watching demonstrations of the system last month.

Joel Rose, NPR News, Washington.

The FAA and the Pentagon say they've completed a thorough safety assessment of a high-energy counterdrone laser system and that these systems do not pose, quote, undue risk to passenger aircraft, unquote.

But the FAA was not sure about that back in February.

The agency briefly shut down the airspace around El Paso after the Pentagon permitted U.S.