President Donald Trump has praised laser weapons as a cheaper and more effective replacement for interceptor missiles like the Patriot system, making his position clear as his administration debates where and how to deploy the technology, "Hvylya" reports, citing The New York Times.
During an Iran war briefing on March 9 at his club in Doral, Fla., Trump said: "The laser technology that we have now is incredible. It's coming out pretty soon, where literally lasers will do the work of - at a lot less cost - do the work of what the Patriots are doing, and what other things are doing."
Trump's remarks came as his Pentagon and the FAA remain locked in a dispute over the LOCUST anti-drone laser system built by AeroVironment Inc. The military has deployed the system along the border with Mexico to fight drone surveillance by drug cartels, but the FAA has raised safety concerns about its proximity to civilian airspace.
A demonstration at the White Sands Missile Range in early March showed the laser caused no structural damage to a test aircraft, according to the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is also considering deploying the LOCUST near Fort McNair in Washington, the military base where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reside. Unusual drone activity has been spotted around the base, prompting officials to weigh both the laser deployment and a possible relocation of the two cabinet members.
Also read: "Hvylya" explored how every missile fired in the Middle East depletes the arsenal Washington needs to deter threats elsewhere.