This is basically the lyrics to 99 Luftballons
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/02/el-paso-airport-closed-after-military-used-new-anti-drone-laser-to-zap-party-balloon/
This is basically the lyrics to 99 Luftballons
https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/02/el-paso-airport-closed-after-military-used-new-anti-drone-laser-to-zap-party-balloon/
@thomasfuchs
With the regime's secrecy we'll probably never know, but I suspect the closure was supposed to be ten hours for a test of the system, but someone misread it and announced ten days.
A more reasonable suggestion I have seen offered is the military told the FAA a little, and the FAA wanting more information held the airspace ransom. In times of functional government, the FAA could have just threatened to close airspace
@elithebearded @thomasfuchs
Maybe, but Hanlon's Razor (malice/stupidity) would suggest miscommunicatuon rather than deliberate (overre)action.
@a_cubed @elithebearded Hanlon wrongly assumes that these are two entirely separate concepts.
@thomasfuchs @elithebearded
Of course, particularly with this regime, both are often present at the same time. Sometimes the only reason their malice doesn't produce even worse results istheir stupidity/incompetence.