Summary
Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of usnorthcom and norad, disclosed in written Senate Armed Services Committee testimony that a usnorthcom Flyaway Kit (FAK) detected and defeated a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) over an undisclosed “strategic” U.S. military installation in the opening hours of operation-epic-fury, the U.S.-led, Israel-coordinated military campaign against Iran that President Trump initiated Feb. 28, 2026. The term “strategic” in military parlance often denotes assets tied to the U.S. nuclear arsenal, though NORTHCOM would not confirm a nuclear link or name the base. The incident illustrates the rising threat of drone-incursions over U.S. military sites and critical infrastructure — a pattern driving the FY2026 NDAA UAP intercept briefing mandates on norad and usnorthcom. Guillot also cited 100+ sUAS mitigations by Joint Task Force-Southern Border and an October 2025 FAK deployment to minot-afb during STRATCOM’s Global Thunder exercise.
Key Claims
- A deployed FAK successfully detected and defeated sUAS operating over a “strategic” U.S. installation in the opening hours of operation-epic-fury
- NORTHCOM declined to name the base, confirm nuclear-enterprise ties, or identify the drone’s origin/brand, citing operational security
- FAKs are an emerging rapid-response counter-small unmanned aerial system (C-sUAS) capability for defending domestic bases
- A tested FAK configuration includes the Heimdal mobile sensor trailer, anduril Anvil drone interceptors, the Pulsar electronic-warfare tool, and the Wisp wide-area infrared system
- Joint Task Force-Southern Border has mitigated 100+ sUAS tracking patrols over the past year
- NORTHCOM’s FAK team deployed to minot-afb in October 2025 for Global Thunder, certifying the kit, operators, and processes; Minot hosts nuclear-capable bombers and ICBMs
- Additional FAKs are due in late Spring 2026, deployable anywhere in the NORTHCOM AOR
- Work proceeds in cooperation with Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401)
- Guillot credited lessons from Ukraine for the need for layered, multi-medium drone defeat mechanisms
Notable Quotes
“In the early hours of Operation EPIC FURY last month, a deployed FAK successfully detected and defeated sUAS operating over a strategic U.S. installation.” — Gen. Gregory Guillot
“We will not name the base where our Flyaway Kit is deployed in order to preserve operational security.” — NORTHCOM spokesperson
“You can’t have just one or two different defeat mechanisms. They have to be across multiple mediums… And we wouldn’t have known that without Ukraine.” — Gen. Gregory Guillot