The Pentagon has launched a new strategy to counter the small-drones
Negoiţă SorinThe Pentagon has launched, at the beginning of this year (January 7th), a new strategy to counter the small-drones’ threats, which became, lately, more and more complex.
Given the increasingly reduced prices of the drones and the easiness these are procured and used with, the new strategy focuses on establishing a broad image of their threats, architecture and a protocol, common for all force categories. Also, the strategy established a stronger coordination between the US federal agencies and allies and partners abroad.
The document presents solutions for the US national territory, for the areas in the host-nations’ territory and during emergency situations and admits that these can be different depending on a series of factors. Also, the strategy argues that the Defence Department should continuously assess the effectiveness of the processes to find good solutions in due time. At the same time, the new strategy notices that some procurement processes conceived to support the conventional operations might last too long when it comes to capabilities development. Thus, given that the security environment is continuously changing, it is necessary to come with a new approach.
The strategy has three lines of action to contribute to reducing the global threats of drones: preparing the force, defending the force and building the team.
To prepare the force, the Pentagon wants to coordinate the development of analyses on threats, which must be adapted to the current and future joint demands. This includes the establishment of some long-lasting requirements and priorities in the intelligence field, to contribute to the development of “informed analysis” capabilities. Also, the Pentagon will have to synch the science and technology investments and hasten the key technologies’ development. These technologies should work both on the national territory and on the territory of host-nations.
Also related to this pillar, the strategy claims that it is necessary to establish common testing and evaluation protocols, standards and methodologies of the counter small unmanned aerial systems (C-sUAS).
For force’s defence, the strategy underlined the need to provide common capabilities which must be coordinated in terms of doctrine, training, policies and organization and ask for investments within all the force categories. Also, new concepts and common doctrines are needed to approach the entire spectrum, from peace time operations to the large-scale conflicts.
For the creation of a team to collaborate on countering the small drones’ threats, the strategy underlines the importance of a partnership with technology innovators and agencies abroad, but also with allies and partners. Thus, such partnerships would allow the advance of solutions development and the provision of effective countermeasures to the common forces for the sUAS dangers and threats.
According to the document, the US will develop many “local policies mutually advantageous” for the common force to work with allies and partners. Also, the cooperation efforts will include opportunities for technology changes, common investments and standards, as well as collaborations on combined researches, development, testing and technology’s assessments and of progresses in terms of capabilities.
The strategy was presented shortly after the US Congress called on the Pentagon to advance the common development and launching program of a drone counter capability, no later than the next autumn. The US lawmakers have added 47 million dollars more to the budget in order to make that happen.
Read also:Drone pentru armată construite în România
Translated by Andreea Soare
