If you’re looking for the next great threat to American national security, look no further than the sky. The future of warfare isn’t just boots on the ground or jets in the air—it’s buzzing, cheap, and often no bigger than a backpack. I’m talking about drones. And if we’re not careful, our enemies—state and non-state alike—are going to use them to punch holes in our defenses with devastating efficiency.
On January 29, 2024, three American service members were killed and over 40 wounded when a drone exploded inside a U.S. base in Jordan. Let that sink in: the first time in over 70 years that U.S. troops died in a direct enemy air attack on base soil—and it wasn’t from a missile or a fighter jet. It was a drone, likely worth less than $5,000, that slipped past our defenses like a whisper in the wind.
This isn’t science fiction. It’s the new normal. And the Pentagon needs to act like it.
Unmanned aerial systems—drones—have become the weapon of choice for rogue states like Iran, terrorist groups like ISIS, and even proxy armies funded by foreign regimes. They’re fast, they’re cheap, and they’re deadly. A $200 drone with a grenade strapped to it can take out a high-value target or blind a tank column. Meanwhile, the U.S. military is still lagging behind in fielding effective counter-drone systems across our forces.
Now, to give credit where it’s due, the Trump administration has started moving the needle. Under President Trump’s leadership, the Pentagon established the Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office. Tools like the MORFIUS non-kinetic jammer and the APKWS precision-guided rocket are being tested. But let’s be honest—testing is not deployment. And deployment is meaningless without training.
According to Maj. Gen. Sean Gainey, the military hadn’t even prioritized drone defense training as recently as 2023. That’s unacceptable. Every single soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine should know how to identify and neutralize drone threats. This is basic defense now, not some elite skill set for special forces.
And here’s where the rubber meets the road: cost. We’ve seen U.S. allies use $3 million Patriot missiles to shoot down cheap, commercially available drones. That’s not sustainable. That’s not strategic. That’s insanity. We need cost-effective countermeasures—laser systems, jammers, directed energy weapons—that match the price point of the threat. Otherwise, we’re going to bankrupt our own defense just trying to keep up with $200 drones from RadioShack equivalents in Tehran or Beijing.
But here’s the real kicker: identification. In a crowded battlefield sky, how do you tell friend from foe? How do you distinguish a surveillance drone from a suicide drone? Without the right protocols and tools for identification, we’re setting ourselves up for friendly fire—or worse, letting the enemy fly free.
And don’t be fooled by the mainstream media’s obsession with shiny trends. While drones are indeed reshaping the battlefield, they haven’t made tanks, ships, or jets obsolete. But ignoring the drone threat is like ignoring the rifle in World War I. You’d be surrendering to the future before the fight even starts.
President Trump has made it clear that American security comes first, and that means building a military ready for today’s threats—not yesterday’s wars. This isn’t about bloated defense contracts or flashy briefings at the Pentagon. It’s about giving our troops the tools they need to win.
The American people have always embraced innovation when our backs are against the wall. From the atomic bomb to stealth technology, we’ve led the world in adapting to new threats. Now it’s time to do it again. Counter-drone warfare isn’t optional—it’s essential.
It’s time to stop pretending drones are a future problem. They’re a now problem. And if we want to maintain peace through strength, we need to act like it. We need robust funding, rapid deployment, and serious training. Not two years from now. Not after the next attack. Right now.
Because the next battlefield won’t wait—and neither will our enemies.
