Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, is getting a directed-energy laser system to shoot down unauthorized drones, a spokesperson for Space Launch Delta 45 (SLD 45) confirmed. The system, tested by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), will be part of a broader security modernization effort at the spaceport, which hosts launches for SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin and Relativity Space.
Col. Brian Chatman, who commands SLD 45, told Florida Today that the facility is “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 AFRL-tested system “has been proven to be able to safely bring down a drone,” Florida Today reported. Neither Chatman nor the SLD 45 spokesperson named the specific system.
The spokesperson said the modernization effort “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 for when the system will be operational was provided.
Lasers are considered particularly important at the spaceport because traditional radio-frequency jamming to disrupt drone connections could damage spacecraft. “If you start blasting a bunch of RF energy you run into potential challenges,” Chatman explained. “You don’t want that.”
The move comes amid frequent drone incursions in the region. There were 500 unauthorized drone flights over the adjacent Port Canaveral in 2025, Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray said. On Sept. 18, a Chinese tourist, Xiaodong He, pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor charge after flying a drone in restricted airspace above NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in late July. The drone came within 1.56 miles of pad 39B, from which the next crewed lunar flight is expected to launch in 2028. It is unclear if the new laser system will also protect skies over KSC; the spokesperson said they were checking.
The deployment follows other military uses of directed energy. Late last month, troops from Joint Task Force-Southern Border employed an Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) system during an operation dubbed Ardent Vanguard, using it “to engage and defeat three hostile UAS,” according to a media release.
Sources: DVIDS News · Military.com