US military tests counter-drone systems to deter incursions at national security facilities

U.S. Northern Command conducted a large-scale demonstration to test counter-small unmanned aircraft systems (C-sUAS) at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, part of the Falcon Peak 25.2 exercise. The effort involved dozens of companies and aimed to assess how multiple anti-drone technologies can protect national security sites from drone incursions. During the exercise, crews launched a “hostile” drone from Santa Rosa Island and watched an interceptor drone capture it with a net fired from a shotgun, marking a practical demonstration of one approach to neutralizing threats. Twenty different anti-drone systems were tested in the days leading up to the event, all designed to detect, track and, if necessary, mitigate or destroy unauthorized UAS.

USNORTHCOM says the exercise gives companies a realistic environment to test capabilities against scenarios that could threaten critical facilities. “Falcon Peak gives companies an opportunity to test their anti-drone systems in a realistic environment,” said a company representative involved in the demonstrations. In the broader context of drone activity, officials emphasize that not every drone is intended for harm, and situational awareness is key to ensuring safe operations around airfields.

One of the showcased approaches combines acoustic detection with other sensors. Squarehead Technology developed an acoustic system that detects drones by their sound and pinpoints their location. “You see a lot of drones flying near the ground, in the ground clutter, making it difficult for radars to pick up on them. Acoustics doesn't have that issue,” said Knut Moe, Squarehead Technology’s defense vice president. Once a drone is acoustically located, troops can shoot it down with existing means or leverage mitigation platforms like Fortem Technologies’ interceptor drones. Fortem’s system can capture drones with a net, and its operator described a scenario where the interceptor “grabs it with a net and takes it down safely and puts it wherever you need to.” Fortem also markets an autonomous C-sUAS capability that can detect, track and mitigate drones on its own, and some Fortem interceptors employ explosives to eliminate hostile devices when appropriate.

The Falcon Peak exercise follows a year of rising concern about drone incursions near U.S. facilities. In 2024, a swarm of more than a dozen drones flew over a military base in Virginia for 17 nights, prompting questions from lawmakers about the Pentagon’s counter-drone procedures. USNORTHCOM estimates about 8,000 drones are in U.S. airspace at any given time, and more than 350 drone incursions were reported in 2024 across over 100 U.S. military installations. Officials stress that effective counter-drone measures require coordination across multiple platforms and jurisdictions as the drone threat evolves.

Noting the proliferation of hobbyist drones, Jason Mayes, USNORTHCOM’s C-sUAS Division operations manager, stresses the importance of readiness. “Not every drone is nefarious. Some of them are just people. They don't know they're not supposed to be there,” he said, underscoring the need for scalable responses that can be deployed quickly when a threat is credible.

The effort complements broader staff work and legislative scrutiny surrounding drone defense. Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of USNORTHCOM, has signaled a goal of placing counter-drone response teams on the East Coast, West Coast and in Alaska that can respond to any drone incursion within 24 hours. Industry and military officials alike anticipate that counter-drone technology will continue to evolve as hobbyist drone usage grows—the FAA has about 1 million registered drones now and projects that total to roughly 2.7 million by 2027. The ongoing demonstrations at Falcon Peak aim to strengthen the United States’ ability to respond rapidly to evolving aerial threats, protecting critical national security sites through a coordinated, multi-layered approach.