U.S. Military Bases Lack Ability to Defend Against Drone Swarms, Top Commander Warns

By [Staff Writer] | Maine News Now

The United States military is dangerously unprepared to defend its own bases against attacks by swarms of small drones, according to a senior defense official who issued a stark warning Thursday about vulnerabilities in the nation's homeland defenses.

Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Jarrard, who serves as deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command and vice commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, told attendees at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium that many American military installations simply lack the basic equipment needed to spot an incoming drone attack, let alone stop one.

"We don't have the sensors, and depending on where that swarm is going to attack, it depends on whether we have any sensors at all, and also whether we've got any effectors to go after that problem," Jarrard said.

The admission highlights a significant gap between the Pentagon's multibillion-dollar push to develop counter-drone technology and the actual protection available at military bases today. Even as the Defense Department seeks funding for new weapons designed to shoot down or disable small unmanned aircraft, the foundation for those systems—detection and tracking capability—remains incomplete at many installations.

A Growing Global Threat

Jarrard's assessment comes as cheap, single-use drones have transformed modern warfare, particularly in Ukraine and the Middle East, where both state and non-state actors have used them to strike military equipment, infrastructure, and personnel without the cost or complexity of traditional missiles or aircraft. The technology has lowered the barrier for adversaries to pose a genuine threat to even well-defended positions.

"We've seen it used. We're seeing it used on a daily basis around the world, and we've got to figure out how to mitigate that threat," Jarrard said.

The general noted that detection remains the most pressing challenge. Current efforts under Operation Noble Eagle, the longstanding U.S.-Canadian homeland air defense mission, are relying on existing radar systems while officials work to integrate information from local law enforcement and other agencies that operate detection networks beyond military perimeters.

"How we are able to detect is one of our biggest concerns right now," Jarrard said. "That's where we've got to get to with respect to the interoperability between not just military systems, but also those that are protecting our cities, critical infrastructure, etc., that are off our installations."

Echoes of Earlier Warnings

The concerns are not new. In May, Gen. Gregory Guillot, who leads U.S. Northern Command, told troops deployed along the southern border that they lacked adequate tools to counter drone threats. The Pentagon has since requested a record $21 billion for drones, counter-drone weapons, and related capabilities as part of an effort to close the gap.

Jarrard's warning also surfaces amid broader national discussions about aerial threats to military sites. Earlier this week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the government should take seriously reports of objects flying over military installations, regardless of whether they are eventually identified.

"I don't know who it is. I don't know what it is, but there are things flying over our military installations, and they're not ours, and we should look into this, be serious about it," Rubio said in an interview.

While Rubio was not specifically addressing drone swarms, his remarks reflect the same practical concern voiced by Jarrard: an aircraft does not need to be mysterious to be dangerous.

Seeking Solutions

The military is pursuing multiple technological avenues to address the vulnerability. Among them are radio-frequency systems capable of jamming drone communications or disrupting satellite navigation signals, as well as high-powered microwave weapons designed to disable multiple drones simultaneously by frying their electronics.

The Army is also moving closer to fielding high-energy laser systems. According to Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano, the service's acquisition chief, testing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico has shown "a lot of recent promise and capability," and the program could soon award a contract for the Enduring High Energy Laser system.

A laser would allow defenders to engage drones that have penetrated inner security perimeters without relying exclusively on costly interceptor missiles. However, officials acknowledge that even an effective laser is not a complete solution. The weapons require line-of-sight to their targets and must be integrated with the very sensor networks and command-and-control systems that Jarrard identified as currently inadequate at many bases.

For now, the challenge remains straightforward in description but daunting in execution: identify a cheap, fast-moving threat quickly enough to stop it before it reaches the installation it is designed to harm.