US Military Expands Counter-Drone Defenses After Base Incursions and Middle East Threats

U.S. military leaders said small unmanned aircraft are increasingly threatening both domestic installations and overseas operations, prompting a broader push to improve counter-drone defenses. Gen. Gregory Guillot told lawmakers that 350 drone detections were reported over the past year across 100 U.S. military installations, with the primary concern being surveillance of sensitive capabilities by known and unknown actors. He said existing authorities under Title 10, Section 130i are too narrow because only about half of installations are covered and commanders often cannot act against drones flying just outside base perimeters. NORTHCOM and NORAD have since established a dedicated counter-drone operations branch, and the Pentagon designated NORTHCOM as the lead coordinator for counter-small UAS efforts in the continental United States and Alaska.

At the same time, the Pentagon is continuing to send counter-UAS systems to the Middle East through Joint Interagency Task Force 401 as regional tensions and an unstable ceasefire sustain demand for air defense. JIATF-401 said it committed more than $600 million in counter-drone defenses for Operation Epic Fury and domestic missions, including about $350 million in roughly 30 days for CENTCOM. Officials and outside experts said the threat now spans Iran-backed drone activity, lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, unauthorized flights over bases such as Barksdale Air Force Base, southern border operations, and security planning for major events including the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Defense Department is also testing commercially available systems through Falcon Peak exercises to detect, track, identify, and defeat low-emission and no-emission drones.