The US Space Force is bringing a laser-based directed-energy weapon to Cape Canaveral, the Florida spaceport that launches rockets for SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Blue Origin, and Relativity Space. Col. Brian Chatman, commander of Space Launch Delta 45, told Florida Today the system can deliver a "kinetic kill" against drones that enter the area with hostile intent. The move is part of a wider push to protect the busy launch complex from prying eyes, keep launch schedules on track, and guard some of America's most sensitive military and commercial space work. Officials have not named the specific laser system or said when it will be operational.

The laser will join a growing layered defense that includes Lattice, an AI-powered software platform that fuses radar and sensor feeds into a single 3D picture to detect, track, and respond to drones automatically, plus a radio-frequency jamming system the base began installing last winter. The pressure is real: neighboring Port Canaveral recorded more than 500 drone incursions in 2025 alone, and the Cape hosted 109 orbital launches that year, with the range reportedly capable of handling far more. Directed-energy weapons still come with limits, including power demands, reduced performance in clouds or fog, and airspace safety concerns near busy civilian traffic. Still, the announcement signals a major shift in how the US plans to defend critical infrastructure at home as cheap drones become a bigger security headache.