U.S. Military Demonstrates Its Capability to Deploy to Bases and Address Rampant Drone Intrusions
Image: (USNORTHCOM C-sUAS Fly-Away Kit Certification by John Ingle)
As commercial drone use surges across the United States, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is sounding the alarm: unauthorized drones entering restricted military airspace may prompt defensive countermeasures.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-AR) told CBS News that the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying over military installations “is severe and growing.” In 2024 alone, the Department of Defense documented more than 350 unauthorized drone flights across roughly 100 different bases.
USNORTHCOM publicly announced the recent certification of a Counter–Small UAS (C-sUAS) “fly-away” kit, manufactured by Anduril. According to USNORTHCOM Public Affairs, this marks a major step toward a reliable, scalable system to counter the small-drone threat.
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joey Frey, who evaluates the kit for USNORTHCOM, and Jason Mayes, Branch Chief for C-UAS Operations and Readiness, described the system as a “system of systems.” It combines multiple technologies to both detect and neutralize hostile drones. Neutralization can be kinetic (physically disabling the drone) or non-kinetic, through electronic jamming.
Mayes acknowledged that it’s difficult to pinpoint whether unauthorized drone incidents are actually increasing—or if USNORTHCOM is simply getting better at detecting them. “Detection capabilities have improved significantly over the last two years,” he said. “It’s hard to know if we are actually seeing more drones or if we are just detecting more drones.”
The concept for the fly-away kits originated last year, when General Gregory Guillot, commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM, urged the development of a rapid-response capability for crisis scenarios. Given the fast-evolving nature of the drone threat, Mayes emphasized that speed is essential. Frey added that, while the system can be operated by just two people, realistic deployment will require 12–16 personnel to cover 24-hour shifts.
USNORTHCOM does not recommend a specific counter-UAS solution for each branch of the military, nor does it mandate a strict deployment timeline. “It’s an ongoing process,” Mayes said. “The services are going to ultimately decide.” At a second C-UAS experiment on September 18, 2025, Gen. Guillot reiterated that USNORTHCOM is working with high-level officials to secure the right authorities for installations to use the system.
Frey noted that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) plays a crucial role in shaping the counter-UAS strategy and its implementation schedule. Currently, one fly-away kit is stationed at Peterson Space Force Base, and two more are scheduled for deployment by April or May of next year, though their destinations have not been publicly announced.
Mayes explained that the goal is to place these kits strategically throughout USNORTHCOM’s area of responsibility (AOR), covering the continental U.S. and Alaska to provide a rapid response wherever needed.
USNORTHCOM also relies on its Joint Counter-UAS Planner (JCUP) team to help military installations navigate the legal landscape—including Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules—to obtain authorization for drone-mitigation operations. Mayes emphasized that usage of the system is carefully controlled: “This kit is not meant to bring everything down out of the sky … just because you fly a drone doesn’t mean we’re going to shoot it down.”
He added, “There are certain parameters that have to be put in place before we can even turn the system on. The system comes with a support team that operates both here out of USNORTHCOM as well as in the field to make sure that everything’s done legally and proper escalation of force is utilized prior to an engagement. By all means, no one is trying to overstep anyone’s constitutional rights.”
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