US to form specialised ‘anti-drone force’
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WASHINGTON: The United States Air Force is creating a new military speciality dedicated to defending its air bases against missile and drone attacks, after recent conflicts exposed vulnerabilities at American military installations in the Middle East and elsewhere.
The move follows an internal review of the Iran war by senior Air Force commanders, who concluded that the growing threat posed by inexpensive but highly effective drones and precision-guided missiles requires personnel specially trained to protect military bases.
According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, the Air Force also plans to establish dedicated air base defence units at selected installations. These units will bring together personnel from different military occupations and train them to detect, track and defeat incoming drones and missiles.
US officials were alarmed by Ukraine’s 2025 ‘Operation Spiderweb’, in which remotely piloted drones struck Russian strategic bombers parked at air bases deep inside Russia. The operation prompted the Pentagon to reassess the protection of American military installations.
The Air Force has also faced criticism at home after unidentified drones repeatedly flew over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia in late 2023. Similar incidents were later reported at bases in Ohio, Utah and Britain.
The urgency of strengthening air base defences increased after Iranian missile and drone attacks during the recent Iran-US conflict damaged several American military facilities in the Gulf.
Reports said aircraft were destroyed or damaged on the ground, while key command facilities at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain also sustained significant damage.
The challenge is particularly acute in the Indo-Pacific region, where American air bases in Japan are within range of China’s expanding missile arsenal. Although the US Army operates Patriot missile defence systems, military officials acknowledge there are not enough batteries to protect every Air Force installation.
The Air Force is seeking about $1.4 billion in its proposed 2027 budget for a new air base missile defence system, but officials say it will take several years before the capability becomes operational.
Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink told Congress in May that protecting military bases had become an increasingly important priority.
The Air Force has not announced when the new specialised force will become operational, as developing training programmes and integrating the new role into the service are expected to take time.
Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2026
