The U.S. Military is working to equip allies with counter-drone technology, spurred by a recent incident in Kuwait where six American service members were killed by an Iranian drone, according to Brigadier General Matt Ross, commander of the newly formed Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) 401.
“I wouldn’t say it’s exclusive to the Middle East, but we are thinking about Department of War partners and locations of allies that could be threatened, to ensure they have the equipment they need for self-protection,” Ross said Thursday.
The creation of JIATF 401 was driven by a desire to avoid another large-scale attack on U.S. Soil, Ross added, according to Defense One.
“Because of what happened in the Middle East over the past week, there’s an increased sense of urgency, and we’re paying close attention to how to maintain capabilities and capacities to address the threat posed by these systems,” Ross stated.
Greater Threat Than IEDs
The threat posed by unmanned systems is a growing concern for the U.S. Military, exceeding the danger presented by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that were a major hazard for American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“We are dealing with the threat from unmanned systems. We knew the problem existed and were working to address it. This has only amplified the discussions at the national level,” Ross said. “The challenge that unmanned systems present, and the threat they pose, far exceeds the threat from IEDs, with which we made some progress, but never fully overcame.”
Ross explained Thursday that IEDs, while deadly, had a key disadvantage compared to drones: “They didn’t have commercial applications. But we are seeing the proliferation of unmanned aircraft in our airspace. Within a few years, they will be commonplace. That means our ability to manage airspace to keep it safe, to protect critical infrastructure that needs to be protected, will have to grow.”
Costly Fight Against IEDs
The two-decade-long fight against IEDs cost over $20 billion, yet a truly effective detection system was never developed. The response focused on developing armored vehicles that offered improved protection for troops, though not complete security, and came at a significant financial cost.
Similarly, current methods are ill-suited for combating inexpensive drones, as demonstrated by the war in Ukraine, where Russian drones are targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and railways. Destroying these drones with expensive anti-aircraft missiles, which cost many times more, is economically inefficient. Such expensive resources are limited, and missiles are difficult to deploy in urban areas.
JIATF 401 is currently focused on collaboration with partners from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to establish standards and procedures for countering the drone threat, rather than direct drone elimination. The task force will then initiate a request for proposals for a command and control architecture capable of operating counter-unmanned systems across the armed forces and other government agencies.
