US Space Force to deploy laser defence against drones

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is set to receive a directed-energy defence system capable of using lasers to counter drones entering its restricted airspace, as part of a broader effort to protect the US spaceport from unauthorised aerial incursions.

A spokesperson for Space Launch Delta 45 (SLD 45) stated that the system would complement other measures aimed at protecting launch infrastructure, personnel and national security payloads, Caliber.Az reports, citing The War Zone.

“As the world’s premier spaceport continues to support an unprecedented launch tempo for national security and commercial missions, securing critical launch infrastructure from low-altitude aerial threats remains a top operational priority,” the spokesperson said. “The ongoing security modernization integrates detection, tracking, and defensive capabilities to include directed energy systems. These will provide security forces with real-time situational awareness and the necessary tools to safeguard personnel, launch complexes, and national security payloads.”

No timeline has been given for when the laser system will become operational.

Space Launch Delta 45 commander Col. Brian Chatman made clear that the facility was “bringing on a directed-energy system that can do a kinetic kill against UASs (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) that are coming into the area that are having nefarious intent.”

The publication reported that the system had been tested by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and had demonstrated the ability to safely bring down drones. Neither Chatman nor the SLD 45 spokesperson identified the specific system.

The use of directed energy is particularly relevant at Cape Canaveral because conventional radio-frequency jamming could potentially interfere with spacecraft.

“If you start blasting a bunch of RF energy you run into potential challenges,” Chatman said. “You don’t want that.”

The spaceport has experienced numerous unauthorised drone incursions, although SLD 45 did not immediately provide figures or say whether any occurred during launches. Separately, Port Canaveral recorded 500 unauthorised drone flights in 2025, according to Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray.

On September 18, a Chinese tourist, Xiaodong He, pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanour charge after flying a drone into restricted airspace over NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in late July. The drone recorded footage of the facility and came within 1.56 miles of Launch Complex 39B, where the next crewed lunar flight is expected to launch in 2028.

It remains unclear whether the new laser system will also provide protection for the airspace over Kennedy Space Center, which is located across the Banana River from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The approximately 25-square-mile Cape Canaveral facility contains critical launch infrastructure used by companies including SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin and Relativity Space. Rockets and other systems deployed there can take years to develop and cost billions of dollars, while an attack or disruption affecting launches could have significant national security consequences.

The move comes as the US military expands its use of directed-energy weapons against drones. In August, troops from the Joint Task Force-Southern Border used an Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) during an operation known as Ardent Vanguard to engage and destroy three hostile unmanned aircraft systems.

In May, the US Department of Defence and Joint Interagency Task Force 401 selected five military installations for a directed-energy counter-UAS pilot programme mandated under the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defence Authorisation Act.

The selected sites are Fort Huachuca in Arizona, Fort Bliss in Texas, Naval Base Kitsap in Washington, Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

The Pentagon noted that the initiative would accelerate the deployment and evaluation of directed-energy systems designed to protect critical infrastructure,

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov