Photo By Maj. LATISHA REEDER | U.S. and Israeli distinguished visitors receive a counter unmanned aerial system...... read more read more
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The Office of the Assistant Secretary of War (OASW) Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC)’s Secretariat for Special Operations (SSO)/Capabilities Development and Innovation (CD&I) Directorate, in partnership with United States Special Operations Command – Central (USSOCCENT) and the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), executed the first “Black Sands” Counter Unmanned Systems (C-UxS) Exercise October 20-31, 2025, U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
In support of US Central Command’s overarching “Sands” series of C-UxS technology events, USSOCCENT, CD&I, and DDR&D jointly crafted the “Black Sands” exercise concept in February 2025. As the inaugural event, Black Sands 25.2 marked the culmination of months of rapid prototyping, iterative testing and sharing of tradecraft and techniques between DDR&D, CD&I, and USSOCCENT, highlighting the significant progress both countries have made towards countering the rapidly evolving threat of adversarial UAS working shoulder-to-shoulder under a bilateral agreement.
Dr. Carmella Teeter, Principal Director, SSO/CD&I, said, “The Black Sands event exemplified the heights we can reach when allies work together for our collective security. The U.S. and Israel, supported by multiple elite military researchers and commands, have developed and tested cutting-edge counter unmanned systems that will bring significant advantages to the fight.”
Approximately 110 operators, planners, program managers and senior leaders from the U.S. DoW and Interagency participated in Black Sands 25.2 which presented a unique opportunity to observe rigorous field testing of 12 cutting-edge co-developed technological capabilities for detecting and defeating C-UxS in operationally relevant conditions to inform end user decisions for operational employment. Many of the participating technologies were battle-proven in Israel and specifically down-selected by USSOCCENT to address U.S. SOF C-UxS operational capability gaps.
“Black Sands plays a crucial role in enhancing the operational capabilities of special operators worldwide. By providing a platform for testing and integration, these events ensure that new technologies are effectively incorporated into their operations,” said Major Juan Torres Jr, Black Sands 25.2 Lead Planner, USSOCCENT.
The U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR) provided advanced technical expertise, a threat force, and a robust test team to validate the performance of these novel C-UxS technologies through realistic and challenging testing criteria. “Using the ONR Code 34 Naval Cybernetics Program and in collaboration and with direction of CD&I, our employment of experimentation people and processes showcases how jointly, we can accelerate the development timeline on key defense capabilities”, said Mr. Benjamin Wheeler, Technical Lead, Naval Surface Warfare Center-Dahlgren Division (NSWC-DD). This type of cooperative event highlights the importance of interoperability required to ensure our joint forces are prepared to combat evolving threats. The outcome of Black Sands will inform leaders across the Department of War (DoW), interagency, and international partners which technologies in the CD&I-DDR&D co-developed C-UxS portfolio are ready for operational employment, and to deepen the foundation for cross-pollination within the CUxS community of interest. ++++++++++ SOCCENT is a regional unified combatant command responsible for overseeing U.S. military operations and building partnerships throughout United States Central Command’s area of responsibility. Read more at https://www.socom.mil/soccent/pages/home.aspx CD&I identifies and develops capabilities for Department of War and Interagency customers to conduct Irregular Warfare against all adversaries, including Great Power competitors and non-state actors. Read more at https://www.iwtsd.gov/index.html ONR is an executive branch agency within the Department of War that supports the science and technology priorities of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and the Secretary of the Navy. Read more at https://www.onr.navy.mil/
| Date Taken: | 12.19.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.19.2025 10:39 |
| Story ID: | 554938 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 188 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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