Summary
Stars and Stripes reports a Pentagon pilot, announced May 7 2026 by jiatf-401, to deploy directed-energy counter-uas systems — high-energy lasers and high-powered microwaves — at five U.S. military bases within 180 days. Bases were chosen for environmental and mission diversity: naval-base-kitsap (Navy, WA), fort-bliss (Army, TX), fort-huachuca (Army, AZ), grand-forks-afb (USAF, ND), and whiteman-afb (USAF, MO). Brig. Gen. matt-ross framed the program as “no silver bullet” and a “layered defense” addition to the existing C-UAS toolkit. Deputy director Col. scott-mclellan cited prior testing at white-sands-missile-range and operational use along the Mexico border to argue directed-energy systems can defeat drones without “undue risk to passenger aircraft.” The piece cites gregory-guillot’s February 2025 Congressional figure of 350 detections across ~100 installations.
Key Claims
- Pentagon pilot announced May 7 2026 will field directed-energy C-UAS at five named bases within 180 days (JIATF-401 statement).
- Selected bases: Naval Base Kitsap (WA), Fort Bliss (TX), Fort Huachuca (AZ), Grand Forks AFB (ND), Whiteman AFB (MO) — chosen for environment/role cross-section.
- Candidate effectors: high-energy lasers and high-powered microwave systems, deployable in combination for layered defense (JIATF-401).
- “No silver bullet” framing; pilot integrates DE into the broader counter-drone toolkit (Brig. Gen. Matt Ross).
- Drone incursions over installation airspace are “almost daily” per NORTHCOM (Oct 2025 statement).
- 350 detections across ~100 installations in the prior year (Gen. Gregory Guillot, Feb 2025 hearing).
- Tests at White Sands Missile Range and operational use along the U.S.-Mexico border show DE C-UAS does not pose “undue risk to passenger aircraft” (Col. Scott McLellan).
- JIATF-401 was created in 2025, is Pentagon-based, Army-run, and works with DHS, FAA, and federal law enforcement.
Notable Quotes
“Countering unlawful and adversarial drone activity is a homeland defense imperative. There is no ‘silver bullet’ to address this challenge, and this pilot program integrates cutting-edge technology into the department’s broader counterdrone toolkit.” — Brig. Gen. matt-ross, JIATF-401 director
“We showed that directed-energy systems can counter drone threats while preserving the safety of air travelers.” — Col. scott-mclellan, JIATF-401 deputy director
“There were 350 detections reported last year on military installations, and that was 350 over a total of 100 different installations of all types and levels of security.” — Gen. gregory-guillot, NORTHCOM commander (Feb 2025)