JIATF-401 and NORAD / NORTHCOM Conclude Falcon Peak 26.2, Establish Enduring Counter-UAS Test Lanes
Conducted in direct support of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Border, the exercise provided operational assessments of counter-UAS capabilities against evolving unmanned threats. The event also established enduring counter-UAS testing and evaluation lanes at Yuma Proving Ground to support continued collaboration between the Department of War, operational units and industry.
"Countering the threat of drones is both a warfighting and a homeland defense imperative," said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401. "Unmanned threats will continue to evolve, which increases the risk at home. We conducted Falcon Peak to support Northern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Border, working directly with users in the field to ensure we understand their needs and deliver the best capability on the market."
Throughout Falcon Peak 26.2, participating systems were evaluated against standardized Department of War test criteria. Performance data was consolidated into JIATF-401's centralized data repository to support rapid assessments and inform acquisition decisions.
The dedicated counter-UAS testing and evaluation lanes established during Falcon Peak 26.2 will remain operational at Yuma Proving Ground. This testing capability will allow commercial developers and defense partners to continually evaluate and improve their systems.
"One of the primary benefits of Yuma Proving Ground is its range instrumentation," said Ross. "Industry partners need to know the exact details of how their product performs. By establishing enduring counter-UAS test lanes here, industry does not have to wait for the next iteration of Falcon Peak to improve their systems. Companies can come directly to the range, receive immediate feedback, iterate on their systems, and rapidly deliver improved tools to our service members."
Ross also emphasized the importance of interoperability and continued adaptation as the counter-UAS threat evolves.
"There is no single solution or silver bullet to solve this problem,” said Ross. "Counter-UAS systems must function like Lego blocks. By standardizing common protocols and tactical interfaces, we are enabling vendors to plug their capabilities directly into our command-and-control networks. We don't just want to buy finished products. We want to build an enduring ecosystem of industry partners capable of continuous adaptation."
To further connect industry, acquisition authorities, and operational units, JIATF-401 directs commercial developers, defense stakeholders, and warfighters to the Department's centralized counter-UAS marketplace at drones.mil. This platform provides a centralized resource for testing standards, commercial opportunities, and other information intended to connect developers with operational users.
"Our goal is to ensure the limiting factor in defending our nation is never the equipment," said Ross. "By pairing persistent testing lanes at Yuma with the marketplace resources at drones.mil, we are building a continuous pipeline that moves verified, combat-effective C-UAS capabilities from the proving ground into the hands of warfighters at home and abroad."
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
