From Oct 21-27, an 11-person team from U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) deployed to Minot Air Force Base to provide C-UAS support to the 5th Bomb Wing.
During the exercise, the team engaged more than 100 targets and achieved certification as an operational unit.
A New Capability for Domestic Defense
Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of NORAD and USNORTHCOM, said:
“I’m proud of the USNORTHCOM fly-away team and what they’ve been able to do in a short amount of time. The validation and certification of our Counter-small UAS fly-away kit is an important step in being able to support installation commanders within the United States as they defend against drone incursions. Moving beyond an advisory role, we now have a team with equipment that is able to rapidly deploy and provide active and passive detection capabilities and low-collateral non-kinetic and low-kinetic defeat options in one package.”
Performance Under Pressure
Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joey Frey, USNORTHCOM’s C-sUAS response program manager, said:
“This team of 11 far exceeded expectations of operators whose first time seeing the system was 30 days ago. Their ability to adapt to an unfamiliar mission set and learn the tactics of air defenders was a breath of fresh air.”
Technology Behind the Mission
The fly-away kit includes:
- Heimdal mobile sensor trailer with radar, thermal optics, and 360-degree coverage
- Anvil drone interceptors for autonomous tracking and mitigation
- Pulsar electromagnetic warfare effector for RF detection and denial
- Wisp infrared system with AI-enabled wide-area sensing
Training and Teamwork
Tech. Sgt. Ian Kay, shift lead for the fly-away kit team and Air Transportation Operations NCOIC with the 21st Logistics Readiness Squadron, said:
“I learned that no matter your rank, service or career field, teamwork and mutual commitment are what make the mission successful. I also learned that today’s warfare continues to evolve, and staying ahead of the enemy requires constant innovation and adaptability.”
Maj. Austin Fairbairn, an Air Force missileer working in USNORTHCOM’s Theater Security Cooperation office, said:
“We brought together a group of people from different career fields, military services, and an assortment of personalities and turned them into a high-functioning team of C-sUAS professionals.”
Takeaway
The exercise demonstrated USNORTHCOM’s ability to rapidly deploy advanced counter-drone capabilities and integrate diverse personnel into a certified operational team.
Post Image Credit: USNORTHCOM
