Photo By Senior Airman Julia Lebens | The U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and Federal Aviation Administration conducted a joint...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Maryland – A small-unmanned aerial system (s-UAS) flight was conducted by a joint team with representatives from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and Federal Aviation Administration on March 19, 2026, to test Andrews’ counter-UAS system capabilities.
Established by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in August 2025, the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) was created to synchronize c-UAS efforts across the Department of War and rapidly deliver state of the art c-UAS capabilities.
At Andrews, a U.S. Army UAS Mission Assurance team, operating under the C5ISR Center Development Command, assessed the base’s counter UAS abilities, demonstrating base defense strengths and sharing lessons learned to enhance security forces’ lethality to counter drone threats. This evaluation is one element of dozens of site surveys across the National Capitol Region to ensure the homeland is prepared for upcoming national security events such as America’s 250th Anniversary. This is all a part of JIATF-401’s efforts to strengthen military counter-drone capability across the United States as small unmanned aircraft systems evolve and become more accessible.
“As the threat of small, unmanned aircraft systems continues to rise, the Air Force is partnering closely with the Army to enhance our defense capabilities in the NCR,” said U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Colton Evans, the counter s-UAS program manager assigned to the 316th Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base Andrews. “Together, we are combining Air Force technologies with Army expertise to detect, track, and neutralize hostile drones, ensuring a robust and coordinated defense strategy for this critical area. This collaboration focuses on strengthening interoperability between services, enabling a rapid and effective response to drone threats in the NCR.”
Drones are a persistent threat to installations across the NCR, requiring security forces and local law enforcement to work together to mitigate and apprehend perpetrators. Data collected from tests such as those conducted at Andrews can be used to build a sustainable training ecosystem across the joint force as drone threats continue to evolve, preparing service members and installations for these situations.
“We are working to increase collaboration across the joint force through evaluations like these,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401. “A whole-of-government approach that streamlines policies and processes across the joint force is vital to counter the threats of drones in the homeland.”
Testing c-UAS capability is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to counter drone warfare. Increased training across the DoW, combined with advancing technology, sustainment plans, maintenance support, and other factors all play a role in successful counter-drone defense.
“There is no 100 percent solution to counter every drone – the silver bullet doesn’t exist and it’s not what we should be trying for,” Ross concluded. “What we need is a layered defense: awareness, different capabilities and an ecosystem that works together so that we can defeat threats consistently. I am grateful for the coordination between Joint Base Andrews, the Air Force, and the Army to achieve this mission and keep our service members safe.”
| Date Taken: | 03.18.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.20.2026 15:24 |
| Story ID: | 561042 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE ANDREWS, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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