One of the many lessons learned from Ukraine’s war against Russia’s illegal invasion is the effectiveness of drone warfare. While the offensive advantages to drones are clear, the ability to defend troops against drones in the hands of bad actors is equally crucial. This was the motivation behind Operation Hard Kill, a critical counter-drone warfare project.
Soldiers, senior Army leaders and industry partners gathered at Fort Drum, New York, to showcase various counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS). The 10th Mountain Division hosted the event. It provided soldiers with an up-close look at developing C-UAS equipment they will likely use in future conflicts.
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“We’ve got to be able to go out onto the range, much like we take a rifle out of the arms room today,” Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann, Commander of the 10th Mountain Division, said. “We go to the rifle range, we open up the range, we start shooting. We’ve got to be able to do that with our drones, and it’s got to be scrutinized across the force. These types of exercises help us scrutinize that force, and it gives us the sets and the repetitions that we need to be proficient before we send our soldiers into harm’s way.”
The event illustrated part of the Department of Defense’s response to the deadly January 2023 attack on an American outpost in Jordan. A one-way uncrewed aerial system killed three Army soldiers and wounded 40 others.
Army officials said the hope is that one day, a counter-drone range will be as accessible as modern gun ranges.
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[RYAN ROBERTSON]
OF THE MANY LESSONS LEARNED FROM UKRAINE’S WAR AGAINST RUSSIA’S ILLEGAL INVASION IS JUST HOW EFFECTIVE DRONE WARFARE CAN BE. WHILE THE OFFENSIVE ADVANTAGES ARE EASY TO SEE, THE ABILITY TO DEFEND TROOPS AGAINST DRONES IN THE HANDS OF BAD ACTORS IS EQUALLY APPARENT. THAT WAS THE MOTIVATION FOR OPERATION HARD KILL, AND IT’S OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK.
SOLDIERS, SENIOR ARMY LEADERS, AND INDUSTRY PARTNERS GATHERED AT FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, THIS SUMMER FOR A SHOWCASE OF VARIOUS COUNTER-UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS.
HOSTED BY THE 10TH MOUNTAIN DIVISION, IT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOLDIERS TO GET AN UP-CLOSE LOOK AT SOME DEVELOPING COUNTER-U-A-S EQUIPMENT THEY WILL LIKELY TAKE INTO AMERICA’S NEXT CONFLICT.
[Maj. Gen. Scott Naumann]
WE’VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT ONTO THE RANGE, MUCH LIKE WE TAKE A RIFLE OUT OF THE ARMS ROOM TODAY, WE GO TO THE RIFLE RANGE, WE OPEN UP THE RANGE, WE START SHOOTING. WE’VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITH OUR DRONES, AND IT’S GOTTA BE SCRUTINIZED ACROSS THE FORCE, AND THESE TYPES OF EXERCISES HELP US SCRUTINIZE THAT FORCE AND IT GIVES US THE SETS AND THE REPETITIONS THAT WE NEED TO BE PROFICIENT BEFORE WE SEND OUR SOLDIERS INTO HARM’S WAY.
THE EVENT ILLUSTRATES PART OF THE DOD’S RESPONSE TO LAST JANUARY’S DEADLY ATTACK ON AN AMERICAN OUTPOST IN JORDAN BY A ONE-WAY UNCREWED AERIAL SYSTEM THAT KILLED THREE ARMY SOLDIERS AND WOUNDED 40 OTHERS. THE HOPE IS THAT ONE DAY, A COUNTER DRONE RANGE WILL BE AS ACCESSIBLE AS THE MODERN GUN RANGE.
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