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Earlier this month, unidentified drones were detected over Fort McNair in Washington DC, prompting the White House to consider relocating Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Earlier this month, unidentified drones were detected over Fort McNair in Washington DC, prompting the White House to consider relocating Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
UPDATED: Apr 1, 2026 07:42 IST
The Pentagon is considering the deployment of a high-powered anti-drone laser system at Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, DC, where Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio live, sources told The New York Times. This comes amid increased drone sightings in the area in recent weeks amid the war in Iran.
The proposal involves installing the system at the military base in Southwest Washington as part of efforts to bolster security against aerial threats, the sources said, adding that the plans, however, were still uncertain.
The consideration follows reports of unusual drone activity around Fort McNair, raising concerns about possible surveillance of the two top officials.
Earlier this month, unidentified drones were detected over Fort McNair, prompting the White House to consider relocating Hegseth and Rubio. Neither were they relocated, nor was the origin of the drones known.
Multiple drone sightings within a two-week span led to a security review and a White House meeting to determine an appropriate response.
Meanwhile, The New York Times report said that deploying the laser system near Fort McNair would add complexity to Washington's already crowded airspace.
The technology has been a point of contention between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has raised safety concerns, and the Pentagon, which supports its use against drone incursions, especially along the Mexico border.
The FAA remains under scrutiny following a mid-air collision in January 2025 between an Army helicopter and a passenger jet over the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Airport, resulting in 67 fatalities.
The airport is located about 3 km from Fort McNair.
Recent drone-related incidents include a brief closure of airspace over El Paso, Texas, after border officials fired a laser at an object initially thought to be a cartel drone but later identified as a party balloon.
Several domestic military bases, such as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, have raised force-protection levels amid concerns.
On March 9, unauthorised drones over Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana triggered a lockdown at the base, which houses a fleet of B-52 bombers.
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Published By:
Karishma Saurabh Kalita
Published On:
Apr 1, 2026 07:42 IST
