When the drone threat comes home

next war you can’t start with rockets or boots on the ground. It all can start with small, unnoticed drones this rain destroyed America’s most vital infrastructure.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have emerged in recent years. developed rapidly in sophistication. But in general, our defense against them did not do this. And if the situation continues, it could lead to disaster.

We don’t have to go far to see how drone war changes the form of conflicts. On Ukraine’s battlefields, UAVs have revolutionized warfare, leveling the playing field for Ukraine’s defenders, allowing Kyiv to retaliate against Russian forces and Russian territory, and providing new intelligence-gathering capabilities. These advantages also work the other way: Russian forces are bolstered by Iranian-origin suicide drones, allowing Moscow to strike deep into Ukrainian territory.

The war in Ukraine is a harbinger of things to come. Gone are the days of costly aerial reconnaissance and dangerous reconnaissance missions. TodaySmall first-person drones swarm the battlefield. These multi-mission drones are fast, cheap, easy to train, and extremely difficult to detect and defeat. They assist with artillery guidance, conduct battle damage assessments, drop ammunition on vehicles, or can be used directly as a weapon. That’s why leading technologists like former Google CEO Eric Schmidt argue that the US military should be development of drones instead of tanks.

The problem is acute and poses a clear threat to US security. Imagine a group of foreign-backed terrorists launching a swarm of explosive-laden drones over a busy US airport. In a matter of minutes, these nearly invisible machines can destroy a plane on the runway, claiming lives and paralyzing air traffic across the country.

Or militarily, imagine if the same group attacked a US Air Force base housing refueling aircraft. These flying fuel tankers are a strategic asset, providing global reach to our fighters and bombers. Worse, as tanker modernization lags, fewer tankers remain in service without viable spare heavy production capacity. A small drone attack that would destroy some of our air-to-air refueling capabilities could halt our global projection of air power and limit the reach of air assets, at least in the short term.

Such scenarios have far-reaching consequences. They require minimal investment and planning, and this is what makes them attractive to our enemies. And they are not far-fetched. The technology to perform such revolutionary missions already exists, and some of these drones can be purchased in stock at major retailers across the country.

Alarmingly, the growing threat these drones pose to the United States and its citizens is no longer an abstraction. In recent weeks reports appeared about unmanned aerial vehicles flying near or around major US military installations. These drones were barely noticed and eluded security at some of our most secure bases, including the U.S. Air Force Combat Command base.

This incident is part of a growing trend. In recent years, the proliferation of drone technology has led to a sharp increase in the number of incidents involving unmanned aerial vehicles near sensitive sites in the United States, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). UAV Observation ReportIn 2022 alone, more than 1,800 unauthorized drone flights were reported near airports, military bases and critical infrastructure. What’s even more alarming is that many of them drones went undetected they have not yet been detected visually, highlighting the limitations of our current detection systems. Since the FAA predicts that Americans will own almost 1.9 million drones In the coming years, the need for enhanced anti-drone measures will be greater than ever.

But while offensive drone capabilities are rapidly evolving, defense against them is not. It’s not just the lack of specific defenses and capabilities to defend against this rapidly advancing threat. This is the lack of development of processes for this. A drone the size of a small bird is extremely difficult to defeat. Kinetically, shooting at such drones is almost impossible due to their size and speed. Radar systems capable of detecting and capturing these drones will require enormous technological improvements, training and power. Moreover, any kinetic weapon used to combat drones may result in friendly fire or collateral damage.

Traditional defenses such as electronic interference or GPS interference have also proven unreliable. The latest generation of small drones are harder to detect and defeat electronically, and the next evolution won’t even require communications or GPS targeting, making new lines of defense critical.

Other countries have already realized the seriousness of the threat and are investing heavily in counter-drone technology. Israel, for example, developed the “Drone-Dome” systemadvanced radar and laser technology designed to autonomously detect and neutralize incoming UAVs. This system has been successfully implemented in 2021 intercept multiple drones in real time, proving effective in high-stakes environments. Likewise, UK testing a drone defense system that uses artificial intelligence to predict flight paths and shut down unauthorized UAVs before they reach sensitive airspace.

These global advances highlight the urgency of the drone threat and the need for the United States to also catch up and prioritize counter-drone technologies. Our policymakers, military, law enforcement, defense industry, and think tanks must urgently develop strategies and tools to keep Americans safe—or risk disaster.

About the author:

Darrell Owens is a senior fellow for national security affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council, former national security adviser to U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania), and an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Image: Shutterstock.