Pentagon approves long-range, autonomous counter-UAS system for use across the military after border testing | DefenseScoop
AI Analysis
The Pentagon has approved CACI International's SkyValor counter-UAS system for military-wide deployment following successful testing at the U.S.-Mexico border. SkyValor utilizes long-range, autonomous detection and non-kinetic defeat methods, including jamming and netting, against a wide range of drone types. This approval signifies a growing investment in domestic counter-drone capabilities and a focus on 'low-collateral' intercept methods.
Key Takeaways
- SkyValor, developed by CACI International, is a long-range (up to 40 miles) counter-UAS system.
- The system employs non-kinetic defeat mechanisms: RF jamming with automated algorithms and drone capture via netting (up to 4 miles).
- Testing was conducted by Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) and Joint Task Force-Southern Border at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.
- JIATF-401 has invested 'hundreds of millions' into domestic counter-drone systems, driven by border security concerns and critical infrastructure protection.
- Recent airspace disruptions due to miscoordinated counter-drone deployments highlight the need for improved inter-agency coordination (FAA, CBP).
Why It Matters
The deployment of SkyValor represents a significant step towards establishing a layered counter-drone defense for the U.S. military and critical infrastructure. The emphasis on non-kinetic methods minimizes collateral damage and allows for forensic analysis of captured drones, aiding in threat identification and origin tracing. The border serves as a key testing ground for these technologies, informing future deployments in other contested environments.
Pentagon approves long-range, autonomous counter-UAS system for use across the military after border testing | DefenseScoop
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The Pentagon’s counter-drone task force tested a defensive system near the southern border last month that officials said is capable of long-range targeting and 24/7 automated sensing against unmanned aerial threats, approving it for use across the military.
Over two days in mid-May at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and other federal agencies deployed SkyValor — a counter-UAS “detect and defeat” system developed by CACI International — against aerial targets at different ranges, elevations and flight paths, according to a spokesperson for the task force.
In a press release on June 7 announcing the test, officials said the system adds to the burgeoning suite of counter-drone systems the Pentagon is deploying to the U.S.-Mexico border, a region senior military officers have dubbed a testbed for such technology.
“SkyValor is now validated for use as one component of a layered C-UAS defense across the entire Joint Force to meet operational needs anywhere warfighters need to defend themselves from drones,” said Lt. Col. Adam Scher, spokesperson for JIATF-401, in a statement to DefenseScoop.
SkyValor can detect and defeat drones ranging from small first-person view systems to UAS the military considers to be in the largest group of platforms, according to CACI, using “non-kinetic” jamming to zap targets from more than 40 miles away in some cases.
CACI describes the system as having several tracking and “low/no-collateral” defeat mechanisms, including nets meant to capture drones from nearly four miles away and radio frequency jammers that run on “automated sense and shoot algorithms.”
SkyValor (CACI image)
Military officials have said“low-collateral” interceptors are key to defeating drones, especially ones that can capture a UAS so investigators can analyze and track its origin.
Since its inception, JIATF-401 has funneled at least hundreds of millions of dollars into domestic counter-drone employment, DefenseScoop previously reported, an effort officials say is boosted by concerns about UAS incursions across the U.S.-Mexico border and over critical installations.
The task force has continued to coordinate between various federal agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Aviation Administration, after two high-profile incidents earlier this year in which Texas airspace was temporarily shut down after the departments miscoordinated the deployment of counter-drone systems at the border.
JIATF-401 said that the SkyValor validation was conducted alongside Joint Task Force-Southern Border, the entity in charge of military operations in the region, and CBP.
“It was a team effort to get the SkyValor system to Yuma and validate it for operational use,” said Lt. Col. Alejandro Elizalde, southern border team lead for the JI