The US Army has signed an agreement with the United Kingdom establishing a framework for sharing intelligence related to drone and counter-drone operations, marking the first in what Army leaders say will be a series of similar arrangements with allied nations.
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the agreement was finalized during a visit to the UK last month alongside Brig. Gen. Matthew Ross, director of the Army’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401. The initiative is intended to set ground rules for how information on drone threats and countermeasures can be exchanged between partner forces.
Speaking during a town hall at Fort Drum, New York, Driscoll said the agreement reflects the growing complexity of the drone threat. Unlike missiles, he noted, drones can rapidly penetrate airspace and are difficult to predict, increasing the need for timely information sharing between allies.
Driscoll said the Army plans to expand similar intelligence-sharing arrangements to additional countries, with the longer-term goal of enabling allied forces to train together, operate common systems and potentially procure the same tools. He described the desired end state as greater interoperability and collective strength in future conflicts involving coalition forces.
While no additional partner nations were named, the Army has increased its participation in multinational drone and counter-drone activities in recent months. In November, US forces and vendors from allied countries took part in the Flytrap 4.5 competition, which focused on countering simulated Group 1-3 drone threats operating in NATO airspace.
Separately, soldiers from the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command recently trained alongside Polish and Romanian forces on the Merops counter-drone system, which has been operationally employed in Ukraine for nearly two years.
Beyond Europe, the US has also pursued partnerships in the Indo-Pacific. In February, Washington and New Delhi announced the formation of the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance, aimed at expanding cooperation on autonomous technologies, including AI-enabled counter-UAS capabilities.
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Post Image: Royal Navy showcases their latest innovations and plans for the future during a visit by U.S. Army Secretary, Daniel Driscoll (Post Image Credit: Royal Navy).
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