U.S. Army 101st Airborne Trains with Mobile 20-kW AMP-HEL Laser to Counter Drones at Southern Border.

The U.S. Army is expanding its ability to counter drone threats on American territory by deploying mobile high-energy laser weapons. According to photographs released by DVIDS on November 3, 2026, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division trained near Fort Hancock, Texas, with the 20-kW Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) mounted on an Infantry Squad Vehicle. Combining precision laser firepower with tactical mobility, the system could enable U.S. forces to intercept hostile drones, protect critical positions, and rapidly reinforce vulnerable areas along the southern border.

U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division soldiers trained with a mobile 20-kW AMP-HEL laser weapon mounted on an Infantry Squad Vehicle near Fort Hancock, Texas, highlighting the military's push to strengthen homeland defense against emerging drone threats (Picture Source: U.S. Dept. of War)

The U.S. Army is strengthening its ability to defend American territory against increasingly sophisticated drone threats through the operational integration of mobile laser weapons. According to photographs published by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) on November 3, 2026, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division trained with the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) mounted on an Infantry Squad Vehicle near Fort Hancock, Texas, on November 2. The exercise highlights a major shift in U.S. homeland defense as directed-energy weapons become a practical response to hostile unmanned aircraft.

AMP-HEL Gives U.S. Army Mobile 20-kW Laser Firepower Against Emerging Drone Threats

The training involved soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB) under Operation Ardent Vanguard. Conducted in coordination with U.S. Northern Command's broader border-security mission, the activity demonstrates how the Army is preparing frontline personnel to operate advanced counter-unmanned aircraft systems in an increasingly complex operational environment. The integration of AMP-HEL onto the General Motors Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle represents an important technological development because it combines the mobility of a lightweight tactical vehicle with the precision of a directed-energy weapon. Rather than relying exclusively on fixed defensive installations, U.S. forces can reposition mobile counter-drone capabilities to reinforce vulnerable areas, protect observation positions, and respond to evolving threats across difficult terrain. For a military formation such as the 101st Airborne Division, known for its rapid-deployment and air-assault capabilities, experience with lightweight directed-energy systems also has potential implications for protecting expeditionary forces during future overseas operations.

Related Topic: U.S. Army Awards AeroVironment $464.8M for LOCUST X3 Laser Weapon Systems to Expand Counter-Drone Defense

Developed using AeroVironment's 20-kilowatt-class LOCUST laser weapon system, AMP-HEL is designed to defeat small drones through concentrated laser energy rather than conventional projectiles or interceptor missiles. AeroVironment announced the delivery of its first two AMP-HEL prototypes to the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office in September 2025, following integration work in Albuquerque, New Mexico, government acceptance testing at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, and soldier training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. In December 2025, the company confirmed delivery of two additional systems mounted on Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, incorporating larger-aperture beam directors intended to improve lethality performance. This development illustrates how the Army is examining multiple vehicle configurations for mobile directed-energy protection.

One of the AMP-HEL's most significant advantages is the potential to engage inexpensive aerial threats without consuming costly missiles, reducing the logistical burden associated with repeated interceptions. Laser weapons also offer highly precise engagements, although their operational effectiveness remains dependent on atmospheric conditions, target visibility, available electrical power, cooling capacity, and the ability to maintain an accurately directed beam. These considerations make AMP-HEL an important complement to conventional air defenses rather than a replacement for them.

U.S. Prepares for Cartel Drone Operations, Coordinated Aerial Threats, and Future Homeland Defense Challenges

The strategic importance of AMP-HEL became particularly evident during operational engagements along the U.S.-Mexico border in August 2026. U.S. Northern Command confirmed that Joint Task Force-Southern Border used the system to defeat three cartel-linked unmanned aircraft during operations conducted on August 25 and 26, with the drones assessed as supporting activities that posed a physical threat to American military personnel and U.S. Customs and Border Protection partners. By September 4, the command reported that AMP-HEL had successfully defeated 11 cartel-linked drones since its initial operational employment on August 24. During the same year, JTF-SB had defeated more than 300 unmanned aircraft using a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic capabilities, including more than 100 during August alone. These figures demonstrate that hostile drone activity is no longer simply a theoretical security concern for the United States. Transnational criminal organizations are exploiting commercially available unmanned aircraft to conduct reconnaissance, monitor military and law-enforcement movements, and facilitate illicit cross-border operations. The U.S. military's response reflects a determination to prevent hostile surveillance from undermining personnel protection and border security while developing practical experience against real-world aerial threats.

Beyond cartel reconnaissance operations, the introduction of AMP-HEL also addresses a broader military challenge: the growing possibility of coordinated attacks involving inexpensive drones, autonomous aircraft, and unmanned systems carrying explosive payloads. Although the Fort Hancock training announcement does not indicate that such attacks occurred during the exercise, these scenarios are increasingly relevant to American military planning as unmanned technologies proliferate across modern battlefields. Experience from contemporary conflicts has demonstrated how small drones can threaten vehicles, command posts, logistics infrastructure, and exposed personnel, sometimes overwhelming defenses through repeated or simultaneous attacks.

For the United States, integrating mobile laser weapons into layered counter-UAS networks could help preserve conventional interceptor inventories for more demanding threats while providing an additional response against small aircraft. AMP-HEL would still need to operate alongside surveillance sensors, electronic warfare, command-and-control systems, and kinetic defenses, particularly when facing multiple approaching targets or adverse weather conditions. Its use in domestic airspace also requires careful coordination: in April 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of War announced the completion of a safety assessment establishing controls for high-energy laser counter-drone operations. This combination of operational effectiveness, mobility, and airspace safety will be essential if directed-energy systems are to become a permanent element of American homeland defense.

The latest training near Fort Hancock highlights a significant transformation in U.S. military capabilities, moving high-energy laser weapons from experimental programs into practical frontline employment. By equipping mobile Army units with AMP-HEL, the United States is strengthening its ability to protect soldiers, counter hostile surveillance, and respond rapidly to aerial threats without relying entirely on conventional ammunition-based defenses. The system's demonstrated operational successes against cartel-linked drones, combined with ongoing improvements in laser technology and vehicle integration, provide valuable experience for future deployments. As hostile actors increasingly exploit low-cost unmanned systems to challenge traditional military defenses, the AMP-HEL program could become an important component of America's next generation of layered air-defense capabilities, reinforcing both homeland security and the U.S. Army's technological advantage in future conflicts.

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Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group

Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.