White Sands Missile Range
U.S. Army installation in southern New Mexico. Per Rep. gabe-vasquez, has seen “exponential rate” of unidentified drone-incursions; primary motivating site for the COUNTER Act.
Per src-directed-energy-5-bases-pilot-2026-05, White Sands has also served as a primary directed-energy-weapons counter-uas test venue. Col. scott-mclellan (deputy director, jiatf-401) cited White Sands testing — together with operational use along the U.S.–Mexico border — as evidence that DE C-UAS does not pose “undue risk to passenger aircraft,” underwriting the May 2026 5-base pilot.