The Department of Defense is establishing a new joint interagency task force to address the growing threat posed by drones, according to General James Mingus, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army.
“We recently did a session with the Secretary of Defense, and we are going to stand up a joint interagency task force,” said Mingus, during a Wednesday event co-hosted by the Association of the United States Army and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The task force will focus on countering unmanned aerial systems, a challenge Mingus emphasized is becoming increasingly urgent.
Mingus likened today’s C-UAS challenge to the improvised explosive device crisis during the Global War on Terror. That threat led to the creation of the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization and the rapid fielding of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles.
“We need an organization that is joint, interagency, has authorities, a colorless pot of money, and the ability to go from requirements all the way through acquisition in a rapid way,” Mingus said. “The Army is going to lead it, but this will be a joint organization to deal with joint solutions in the future. We’ve been trying to advocate this for some time now, and the secretary recently made the decision to allow us to move out on it, because we cannot move fast enough in this space.”
As part of its fiscal year 2026 budget request, the Army is seeking flexible funding lines for UAS, C-UAS, and electronic warfare to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats. Mingus stressed the need for agility in both funding and acquisition, noting that traditional procurement cycles are too slow to respond to fast-moving technological developments.
“Once we think we’ve got it figured out, the adversary is going to come up with something new,” he said. “We can’t buy a system and stick with it for 20 years. We need the authority and flexibility to pivot to whatever solution is needed next year.”
Unlike the mature commercial drone market, the counter-drone industry is still developing, requiring custom-built solutions. Mingus emphasized the importance of a layered defense strategy, with protection capabilities at every level – from individual squads to larger formations.
“No single solution. It’s got to be at every level. It’s got to be layered. Every squad’s got to be able to protect itself, all the way up to formations that provide higher-end capability,” he said. “There’s going to be a multitude of solutions – long, short, and close in – that are out there.”
He noted that officials are aiming for a mix of lasers, high-powered microwaves, and interceptors – technologies that will be essential for reducing overall costs.
“Interceptors that continue to come down in cost, so that the price point between shot and what the adversary is doing … has to be in line. We can’t shoot a $130,000 missile at a $1,000 drone. We’ve got to get the price points down. But there’s an interceptor role that’s out there,” Mingus said.
The Army currently leads the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO), but Mingus did not clarify how the new task force will coordinate with the existing office.
You can watch the full discussion with General Mingus on the CSIS website tutaj.
Źródło zdjęcia: Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
