International Military Approaches to Counter-UAS

Since the onslaught of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, the global military community has been jolted into a new era of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) warfare; a revolution in military affairs (RMA) with drastic implications across the spectrum of conflict. The Ukrainian battlefield has since become and continued to be a crucible for counter-UAS (C-UAS) innovation, with drones playing a pivotal role in reconnaissance, targeting, and direct (kinetic) attacks. A stark example came in October 2022, with missile strikes from a swarm of Iranian-made Shahed-136 kamikaze drones struck Kyiv, which disabled large sectors of the Ukrainian power grid. The increasingly evident and urgent need for effective C-UAS capabilities and planning continues to spur nations across the globe to reassess and bolster their C-UAS strategies. This article delves into the current approaches by Japan, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom in addressing the evolving challenges posed by UAS technology, examining how these countries are adapting their defense capabilities to meet this pressing threat. Japan’s Proactive Stance on C-UAS Driven by its complex security environment, Japan finds itself at the forefront of C-UAS development. The Japanese Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) have observed a significant increase in UAS activities near their airspace, prompting a robust response Intensifying UAS Monitoring and Response Japan’s defense forces consist of three services: Ground Self-Defense Forces, Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Air Self-Defense Force, consisting of a total of approximately 200,000 personnel. These forces are tasked with countering intrusions into Japanese airspace, including those by unmanned systems. Colonel Yuka Nakazato of the JSDF reported a consistently high number of scrambles against foreign aircraft with an emphasis on UAS, with an increase in aircraft scrambles between Russian and Chinese incursions rising, respectively, from 124 and 158 and 359 and 415 in 2003. These numbers have remained steadily near or over 1000 since 2016. This translates to an average of three scrambles per day. While other adversaries account for some of these incursions, China and Russia account for the majority of these incidents, with Chinese UAS activities expanding from the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea and Sea of Japan. A significant portion of UAV passes occur between the islands of Okinawa and Miyakojima.  Expanding UAS Threat Landscape The range of UAS activities observed by Japan has expanded substantially in the past few years. Since 2018, Chinese UAV operations have moved from the East China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, the Philippine Sea and the Sea of Japan. Various types of UAS have been deployed, sometimes flying alone and sometimes in conjunction with manned aircraft like intelligence gathering planes and patrol aircraft. Adding to this persistent threat, the JS Izumo incident, in which Japanese Ministry of De