The US military is testing anti-drone technology in the border region between the US and Mexico in an effort to strengthen defense capabilities against the threats posed by Mexican drug cartels frequently using drones.
According to Reuters, during the “Falcon Peak” exercise held in Arizona in September by the US Northern Command, various defense companies showcased a range of technology equipment including radars, drone interception systems, autonomous weapon systems, aimed at detecting, tracking, and destroying small drones.
Military officials stated that criminals are using drones to scout and conduct reconnaissance activities beyond the southern border of the United States, facilitating their smuggling and human trafficking operations.
Brigadier General Brian Filler, the deputy commander responsible for operations at the Southern Border Joint Task Force, revealed to the media that within the past 30 days, the military has monitored 378 drone intrusion incidents, a trend that continues to rise.
“We are mainly seeing commercially available drones on the market,” Filler said, noting that most drones are equipped with surveillance cameras and frequently engage in cross-border flights.
The US military announced earlier this month that since deploying laser technology at the southern border in August, they have successfully shot down 11 drug cartel drones using this technology.
The military is drawing lessons from the experiences on the battlefields of Ukraine, particularly in the use of drones. Officials mention that the drones used by the drug cartels cannot be compared to the advanced drones employed in Ukraine or the Middle East battlefields. However, the border region provides a valuable real-world environment for equipment testing and soldier training.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, investors have poured billions of dollars into small drone and anti-drone startups such as Anduril, Shield AI, and Saronic. They are seeking military drone and related equipment supply contracts.
Equipment showcased during this demonstration included the “Ghost” drone produced by Anduril, radar and camera detection systems manufactured by Teledyne FLIR, the “Bullfrog” anti-drone automatic machine gun produced by Allen Control Systems, and an interceptor drone distributed by Powerus.