U.S. Army tests counter-drone systems at Fort Hood

Soldiers from the 6th Battalion, 56th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division Artillery conducted a live unmanned aerial system demonstration on Jan. 29, 2026, at Fort Hood, Texas, testing counter-UAS integration in front of senior leaders from III Armored Corps and the 1st Cavalry Division.

The event paired air defense crews with civilian personnel and focused on detecting and defeating live unmanned aerial vehicle flights using the battalion’s full counter-UAS capability set. Soldiers from 6-56 ADA operated Mobile-Low, Slow, small unmanned aircraft Integrated Defeat System, or M-LIDS, AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar, Coyote kinetic interceptors, direct-fire weapons, and electronic warfare systems, including LOTUS electronic warfare jammer against multiple drone profiles during the demonstration.

According to the U.S. Army, the training allowed crews to engage live UAVs using KU-band radar, Coyote interceptors, 30 mm cannons, M240B machine guns, and electronic jamming platforms. The objective was to observe how the systems detect, classify, and respond to evolving drone threats under realistic conditions.

1st Lt. Martin Ocampo, a platoon leader assigned to Delta Battery, 6th Battalion, 56th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, said the training was critical for units involved in the Army’s counter-UAS modernization effort.

M1078 Light Medium Tactical Vehicle and the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel (Photo by Russell Shirley-Jones)

“Drones are at the center of the current fight,” Ocampo said. “Bringing our kinetic and electronic warfare vehicles out here allows our crews to see radar performance against real UAV profiles and improve how quickly they classify and engage. This is the type of training that helps us set the pace for counter-UAS across the Army.”

Ocampo said cooperation with civilian partners increased training repetitions and operational realism.

“Every live track helps our Soldiers get faster and more lethal,” he said. “It ensures we can protect whichever maneuver force we are attached to.”

The demonstration included two different one-way attack UAV platforms, giving air defense soldiers direct exposure to how small strike drones maneuver and approach targets in contested environments. The systems were flown during the event to replicate real threat profiles faced by U.S. forces.

M-LIDS vehicle equipped with a CROW and LOTUS electronic warfare jammer. (Photo by Russell Shirley-Jones)

Spc. Noel Stoehr, a Joint Fire Support Specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Cavalry Division Artillery, participated by operating one of the one-way attack drones.

“The drone was intuitive to operate, but the attack run requires a lot of skill because the camera is not stabilized,” Stoehr said. “Keeping the target centered is difficult as you close in. It showed how valuable AI can be for precision terminal guidance.”

Stoehr, who previously worked as a corporate pilot, said drone integration is changing how fire support soldiers operate on the battlefield.

“Normally we have to get close to the enemy to observe and call for fire,” he said. “A drone can cover more ground, keep us safer and even conduct strikes if needed.”

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Westerberg, a targeting officer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 1st Cavalry Division Artillery, said the demonstration helped senior leaders connect emerging drone threats with Army fires units.

“This event tied emerging UAV threats into the fires warfighting function,” Westerberg said. “Watching 6-56 ADA track these drones in real time builds the foundation for future counter-UAS integration across III Armored Corps.”

As noted by the U.S. Army, the combined training allowed civilian developers to demonstrate evolving drone technologies while giving air defense crews realistic, scenario-based repetitions. Soldiers used the event to refine detection timelines, classification procedures, and engagement coordination across kinetic and electronic systems.

The 6th Battalion, 56th Air Defense Artillery Regiment is part of the 1st Cavalry Division Artillery and supports maneuver forces with short-range air defense and counter-UAS capabilities. The unit’s role places it at the center of Army efforts to counter small drones increasingly used for reconnaissance and strike missions.