Drone testing near Guam highlights expanding US effort to counter emerging aerial threats

Drone testing near Guam highlights expanding US effort to counter emerging aerial threats

By Ron Rocky Coloma

Drone testing conducted over the waters near Guam earlier this year reflects a growing focus by the U.S. military on preparing for one of the fastest-changing challenges in modern warfare: the rise of small unmanned aircraft systems.

The January testing event, conducted over portions of the Philippine Sea north of Andersen Air Force Base, was part of the Department of War's broader efforts to strengthen counter-drone capabilities across the Indo-Pacific region.

Officials say Guam’s strategic location makes the island an important site for testing and operational readiness as the military adapts to increasingly sophisticated drone threats.

Small unmanned aircraft systems, often referred to as sUAS, have become widely used in modern conflicts. Once largely limited to reconnaissance, drones now play roles in surveillance, targeting and attack operations. Their relatively low cost and accessibility have also allowed nonstate actors and individuals to acquire and modify them.

Military leaders say the technology’s rapid evolution is forcing the United States and its allies to rethink how they protect bases, infrastructure and personnel.

“Unmanned systems are a defining threat of our time,” said Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401. “Drones are prolific, inexpensive, evolving quickly and increasingly accessible to nonstate actors and individuals.”

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Ross leads Joint Interagency Task Force 401, a Defense Department organization responsible for coordinating efforts to counter small unmanned aircraft systems across the military.

Capt. Christy Hanson, public affairs officer for Joint Task Force-Micronesia, said the task force synchronizes counter-drone efforts across multiple branches of government and the armed forces.

Joint Interagency Task Force 401 is the War Department’s lead organization for countering small unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, Hanson said. The task force coordinates military and federal efforts to detect, track and defeat drone threats, helping defend the homeland, protect U.S. and allied forces and safeguard critical infrastructure.

According to Hanson, the task force works with combatant commands, military services and federal agencies to coordinate those efforts.

“The task force has a global focus and is a multifaceted organization leading Department of War counter-UAS activities,” she said. “It is innovative, scalable and threat adaptive. It has one measure of effectiveness: quickly deliver state-of-the-art counter-UAS capabilities to the warfighter at home and abroad.”

One key component supporting that mission is the Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft System University at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

The program serves as the primary training hub for counter-drone operations across the military. Courses focus on identifying, tracking and mitigating drone threats while also preparing planners to protect military installations and critical infrastructure.

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“The university develops and validates counter-UAS curriculum for the War Department and serves as the task force’s hub for instruction, mobile training teams and technical integration,” Hanson said.

Rather than relying entirely on centralized training programs, the military has begun shifting to a “train-the-trainer” model. Under that approach, service members receive specialized instruction and return to their units to train others.

Lt. Col. John Peterson, director of the training program, said instructors continually update course materials to reflect emerging technologies and evolving tactics.

The goal, he said, is to ensure service members have the skills needed to detect, disrupt and defeat drone threats wherever they are stationed.

Guam has increasingly become part of that training effort.

The island hosts several major U.S. military installations, including Andersen Air Force Base and Naval Base Guam, and serves as a key hub for American military operations in the Indo-Pacific.

Because of its location, Guam is viewed as an important site for testing and integrating new defense capabilities.

Training teams associated with the counter-drone program have deployed to Guam to work with local military units, including members of Task Force Talon and Guam National Guard security forces.

“Our mission is to ensure every warfighter has the skills to defend their post, wherever that may be,” Ross said in a Defense Department briefing. “We must recognize that the homeland extends beyond the continental United States. Defending Guam is defending the homeland.”

Officials say the exercises are intended to strengthen the island’s ability to respond to emerging threats while also supporting broader regional security.

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