US Task Force Tests New Autonomous Counter-Drone System at Southern Border
The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401), an Army-led US counter-drone task force, has successfully tested a new autonomous counter-drone system named SkyValor at the US southern border. The system, evaluated at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona, demonstrated its capability to sense, detect, track, identify, and defeat small drones at extended ranges. SkyValor employs long-range, non-kinetic methods, including electronic warfare, to disrupt or disable drones without physical force, validating its operational use for the task force's defensive arsenal.
A US counter-drone task force, the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401), recently tested a new autonomous counter-drone system, SkyValor, at the US southern border. The Army-led task force focuses on accelerating the development and adoption of systems for detecting, tracking, and defeating small drones for the Pentagon and other federal agencies.
The SkyValor system was evaluated at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona, near the US-Mexico border. During the two-day test, the platform successfully demonstrated its ability to autonomously sense drones around the clock and employ non-kinetic methods, such as electronic warfare, to disrupt or disable uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) at extended ranges. This non-kinetic approach allows for countering drones without physically shooting them down.
According to Jose Gonzalez, a Customs and Border Protection liaison officer embedded with JIATF-401, the system was tested against rigorous threat scenarios based on feedback from warfighters and border agents. Gonzalez emphasized that an effective non-kinetic defeat option is a crucial component of robust, layered counter-drone capabilities at the southern border.
The southern US border has become a significant proving ground for counter-drone technologies, where drones are increasingly utilized in drug trafficking. Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of US Northern Command, referred to the border area as a "literal and figurative sandbox" for testing new solutions. The Department of Defense has been using the border for testing new counter-drone technology as part of broader operations.
JIATF-401, which replaced the DoD's previous counter-drone force, aims to learn from conflicts like the one in Ukraine to accelerate the adoption of counter-drone capabilities across federal agencies. The task force is also developing a drone marketplace for partners and allies. The urgency for new counter-drone systems is underscored by recent incidents, including drone attacks that killed US service members in Kuwait and Jordan.
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