Army wants to test and field new drone defenses in under six months

The Army plans to test as many as 15 new counter-drone technologies in Morocco. The goal is to protect temporary command posts and remote military positions from enemy drones. Officials want the strongest approved systems to reach soldiers quickly, rather than waiting through a long acquisition process.

Testing begins in February and March 2027 in Tan-Tan, Morocco. The Army plans to assess equipment that detects drones, destroys them, disables them without gunfire, or reduces the damage they cause. Further evaluations will take place during African Lion 2027 in April and May.

The Army’s 180-day goal starts after evaluation, not when testing begins. Officials will review performance and soldier feedback before choosing what to buy. That means the timeline covers approval and delivery of selected equipment, not necessarily the entire test period.

A counter-drone system is equipment designed to deal with approaching unmanned aircraft. The Army’s planned evaluation includes several functions because drones can create different problems for troops. Some systems find and identify drones, while others respond after detection.

Detection equipment may locate approaching aircraft and track their movement. Destructive systems physically destroy them. Other systems disable drones without firing weapons. Protective measures form another layer by reducing the damage a drone can cause to a temporary command post or remote position.

The Army will evaluate these approaches together in Morocco. The goal is not simply to buy a weapon, but to find equipment that works in remote, bandwidth-limited conditions. Officials will compare performance and gather soldier feedback before deciding which technologies to purchase.

The Army is setting different range goals for different drone sizes and detection challenges. Equipment should detect and identify small drones that do not transmit radio signals from nearly a mile away, day or night. This addresses aircraft that standard radio-based methods may miss.

The Army also wants systems to track large drones from five miles away. Smaller drones should be trackable from close to two miles. These ranges give operators more time to recognize an approaching aircraft and decide how to respond.

Officials may evaluate as many as 15 technologies. The group could include sensors, physical weapons, non-weapon disabling systems, and protective measures. Testing will occur in Morocco and during African Lion 2027, followed by reviews of performance and soldier feedback.

Small drones that do not transmit radio signals remove an important way for troops to notice them. The Army specifically identifies these aircraft as difficult to detect. Their small size adds to the challenge described in the planned testing, which focuses on remote positions and temporary command posts.

The Army therefore wants equipment that can detect and identify these radio-silent drones from nearly a mile away. It wants that capability to work during both daytime and nighttime. Separate goals call for tracking smaller drones from close to two miles.

This problem matters because troops may operate in Africa’s dispersed, bandwidth-limited environment. The Army says systems must work in degraded conditions. Testing will show whether candidate technologies can find small aircraft without relying on a transmitting radio signal.

The Army is concerned about enemy drones approaching temporary command posts and remote military positions. Those locations are the focus of the planned tests. If defenses fail, a drone could reach the protected area before troops detect or stop it.

The article does not specify particular casualties or destruction. It does state that some candidate systems are protective measures designed to reduce the damage drones can cause. Other technologies would detect approaching aircraft, physically destroy them, or disable them without firing weapons.

The risk is especially important in remote areas with limited communications infrastructure. The Army says adversaries are adapting commercial drones and creating additional challenges for troops. Testing aims to identify affordable, scalable systems that continue working in degraded conditions before selected equipment is purchased.

The Army needs several kinds of defenses because countering a drone involves more than spotting it. A system must first detect or identify an aircraft, then respond in a way suited to the situation. The Army’s test therefore covers multiple layers rather than one universal weapon.

Candidate technologies include equipment that detects approaching drones and weapons that physically destroy them. Other systems disable drones without firing. Protective measures add another option by reducing damage even when a drone is not immediately stopped.

This mix is tied to varied operating conditions. Small radio-silent aircraft can be hard to detect, while troops may work in remote, bandwidth-limited environments. The Army wants low-cost, scalable systems that work in degraded conditions. Soldier feedback and test results will guide purchasing decisions.

Commercially available drones become military threats when potential adversaries adapt them for use against troops. The Army says this trend is creating new challenges, especially for soldiers operating in remote areas. The article does not describe specific modifications, but it emphasizes the speed of adversary adaptation.

The planned defenses include equipment that detects and identifies drones, including small aircraft that remain radio-silent. Other technologies can track, physically destroy, or disable them. Protective measures can reduce damage if a drone reaches a defended location.

The Army says Africa’s dispersed, bandwidth-limited environment demands low-cost, scalable systems that work in degraded conditions. It will test up to 15 technologies in Morocco and during African Lion 2027. Results and soldier feedback will shape purchasing decisions.