“Two of the people added that F.A.A. officials had warned the Pentagon that if they were not given sufficient time and information to conduct their review, they would have no choice but to shut down the nearby airspace.”

Military’s Use of Anti-Drone Technology Said to Cause El Paso Airspace Closure

“Two of the people added that F.A.A. officials had warned the Pentagon that if they were not given enough time and information for their review, they would have no choice but to shut down the airspace near the anti-drone system.”

What We Know About the El Paso Airspace Shutdown

“In one email, dated Feb. 6, the F.A.A.’s top lawyer warned a Pentagon official that deploying the laser system without restricting flights created “a grave risk of fatalities or permanent injuries” to Americans traveling through that airspace. Another email, dated Tuesday, shows that the lawyer gave official notification to 14 government employees — including senior officials in the Defense Department as well as staff members of the White House’s National Security Council — of the F.A.A.’s intention to close the airspace above the Army base adjacent to El Paso because the laser technology had been used without its approval.”

Inside the Debacle That Led to the Closure of El Paso’s Airspace