Technology1 min read

US tries to move counter-drone efforts to reality

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The military's accelerated timeline is driven by urgent security risks, including the recent withdrawal of a dozen B-1B bombers from a British air base over Iranian drone concerns. Field tests at the Yuma Proving Ground evaluated roughly 20 defense contractors tasked with defeating both border and military-grade threats. Several systems experienced initial intercept failures caused by extreme heat and sensor clutter before vendors made necessary adjustments. To overcome traditional procurement delays, the Pentagon is establishing an online marketplace to field functional gear to troops faster.

Key points

  • Operational evaluations show that defense systems still face performance issues in harsh…: Operational evaluations show that defense systems still face performance issues in harsh climates and complex geographic environments.
  • Mounting drone threats from foreign adversaries and border cartels are forcing the armed…: Mounting drone threats from foreign adversaries and border cartels are forcing the armed services to unify their fragmented procurement processes.
  • The Defense Department is using software platforms like Anduril Industries’ Lattice to in…: The Defense Department is using software platforms like Anduril Industries’ Lattice to integrate competing vendors' sensors and weapons into cohesive networks.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

A pair of interceptors took turns trying to down a small white drone but only clipped a small part off before they were forced to return as the target flew on. Intense heat left another drone struggling to take off. And another also hit — but didn’t destroy — its target.

Those snafus underscored the Pentagon’s struggle to catch up to other militaries who have surged ahead of the US ‘s fragmented, underfunded counter-drone efforts. The Pentagon now plans to spend at least $7 billion on defenses, ranging from specialized shotguns to the interceptor drones. Some systems faltered in the demonstration at Yuma Proving Ground in September. At times, top officials have admitted the challenges.

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In January, then-Army Secretary Dan Driscoll called one such system “f___king terrible” and “a joke” during a town hall at Fort Drum, New York, in a response to a soldier saying his unit had no other counter-drone equipment at the border.

The US can’t wait for counter-drone technology…

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