U.S. military reveals more details about drone incursions at strategic base
U.S. Northern Command’s recently-purchased “Flyaway Kit” (FAK) has been deployed against multiple drone incursions at a publicly undisclosed U.S. military base since the start of Operation Epic Fury, according to a spokesperson.
Launched by the Trump administration in coordination with Israel on Feb. 28, that ongoing large-scale campaign targeting Iran’s leadership and defense infrastructure is triggering elevated risks for retaliatory drone attacks that could pose harm to Americans and critical assets.
Details emerged last week that Northcom’s FAK identified and neutralized a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) threat operating over a “strategic” installation on U.S. soil, in the early hours of the war.
Providing new information on Tuesday, a Northcom spokesperson told DefenseScoop: “There have been several incursions, but we have not determined nefarious intent.”
The spokesperson declined to confirm whether an investigation into those incursions is ongoing, if any drone platforms were recovered, or if the command has determined their source or purpose.
“The FAK engaged its jamming protocol during these incidents,” the spokesperson said.
Northcom was designated as the lead synchronizer for counter-drone operations within the continental U.S. and Alaska in late 2024. The command went on to acquire one initial flyaway kit to take out contemporary drone threats, with more due for delivery this spring.
Drone incursions over U.S. military bases and sensitive national security sites have surged in recent years, prompting concerns about threats to public safety even before Epic Fury. But over the past few weeks since the operation kicked off, unauthorized drones have been reported at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. and Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
Some of those incidents allegedly involved waves of swarming, high-tech drones, which could potentially point to high-tech surveillance operations involving foreign actors, cartels or other enemies.
“We will not name the base where our Flyaway Kit is deployed in order to preserve operational security. Specifically, connecting the Flyway Kit to a specific base can potentially illuminate that base’s vulnerabilities to an adversary,” the Northcom spokesperson told DefenseScoop. “Additionally, by confirming a specific counter-small unmanned aircraft system platform, we would potentially give an adversary an advantage in circumventing our C-sUAS capabilities at that location.”
They further declined to say whether the command believes the incursions had any connections to Iran or Iranian sympathizers operating inside the United States.
