Air Force ‘battle lab’ to focus on protecting bases from small drones

The U.S. Air Force has chosen the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, to spearhead efforts to counter small-drone threats at U.S. military installations, the service announced earlier this month.

The initiative, dubbed the Point Defense Battle Lab, will focus on developing and maintaining air supremacy over small unmanned aircraft systems, to include first person view drones, according to a Jan. 8 release.

The 184th Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard will provide support to the project, bringing expertise in aerial tracking, surveillance and reconnaissance. In addition to countering drone threats, the effort will focus on developing tactics and evaluating new technology that can be used to maintain air superiority against small drones, according to the service.

“The 319th Reconnaissance Wing is honored to lead the Point Defense Battle Lab alongside our Air National Guard partners,” Col. Alfred Rosales, 319th RW commander, said in a statement earlier this month. “The men and women of the 319th RW have extensive knowledge with unmanned, remotely piloted technology and will ensure our force is poised to secure our installations and defend the homeland.”

Priorities for the battle lab include changing the Air Force’s current posture in guarding U.S. bases from purely defensive to offensive, as well as to leverage existing counter-drone technology and maintained awareness of new unmanned aerial threats as they continue to evolve, according to the lab’s website.

Drone intrusions are becoming a primary focus of U.S. military installation commanders due to mounting threats posed by surveillance and the potential of kinetic strikes. The Pentagon recently released guidance classifying all unauthorized drone flights in proximity to U.S. military installations as threats.