The Trump administration announced Monday an expanded effort involving the Pentagon and the departments of Transportation, Energy and Homeland Security to coordinate counter-drone operations to protect U.S. airspace.
Unidentified and unauthorized drones have been a growing problem for U.S. military bases in recent years. In March 2026, at least a dozen jam-resistant drones hovered over the flightline at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana for at least four hours a day over several days.
The agencies are strengthening collaboration to adapt to the latest drone threats while ensuring that the technologies don’t adversely affect legitimate aircraft operations, officials said.
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“With this whole-of-government approach, the [Defense Department] is rapidly fielding cutting-edge capabilities to safeguard our Southern border and harden critical military installations,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement. “We have demonstrated on the Southern Border that next-generation counter-drone defenses, including high-energy lasers, can be deployed rapidly and safely alongside civilian aviation.”
Trump administration officials said the effort builds on existing collaboration between the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies. They include imposing a temporary flight restriction along the southern U.S. border and a comprehensive safety assessment of the Pentagon’s high-energy laser counter-drone system.
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