LOCUST X3 laser weapon system. Photo: AeroVironment.

The use of laser weapons is contributing to a dramatic decline in nefarious drone use along America’s southern border, the Pentagon’s chief technology officer (CTO) said on Thursday. The laser-based systems have had a “chilling effect” on illegal drone activity, Emil Michael, who is the CTO and undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Emerging Technologies Conference. Michael mentioned a report that says drone incursions into the U.S. from Mexico have dropped by…