Detect, jam, destroy: US Army establishes three permanent anti-drone test lanes

The US Army has established three permanent counter-drone test lanes at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona to evaluate systems that detect, disrupt, and destroy small drones.

The lanes were used during Falcon Peak 26.2, an operational experiment that spent much of September testing systems from multiple companies against scenarios modeled on drone incursions along the US southern border.

Joint Interagency Task Force 401 ran the exercise in support of US Northern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Border. It was the first Falcon Peak event to simulate drone incursions in the desert conditions found along the border.

Three lanes test different defenses

Each lane focuses on a separate part of counter-drone operations. One tests sensors that detect drones, another evaluates electronic systems that jam or take control of them, and the third assesses kinetic weapons that shoot them down.

Vendors put their systems through multiple realistic scenarios. The lanes will remain available for ongoing testing involving the Department of War, military units, industry and defense partners.

“The range is standardizing the spec sheet for each of these three lanes. The goal is to have set standards of measurement so we all have a baseline to start with,” said Hi-Sing Silen, the task force’s test integrator.

The Army has not said which companies took part or how their systems performed. However, Allen Control Systems’ Bullfrog robotic gun turret was photographed firing at drone targets during Falcon Peak on September 9.

Lattice provides a common software baseline

Falcon Peak 26.2 was also the first test event to use Anduril’s Lattice autonomous command-and-control software as the baseline for evaluating commercial sensor-to-shooter counter-drone capabilities.

Vendors’ radars, cameras and weapons were assessed on how well they connected to a common software system that tracks drones and assigns them to the right weapon.

“YPG is the first deployment of Lattice for test and evaluation purposes. There are a lot of lessons learned, especially from a test and evaluation perspective,” said David Bates, a capability integrator in Yuma Proving Ground’s Air Combat Systems Directorate.

Since the task force’s establishment in August 2025, Yuma Test Center has served as its primary dedicated range for testing and training against small drones.

Bates said Yuma could serve as a model for other Department of War test sites, with adjustments based on their capabilities and locations.

Trials support domestic drone protection

Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle visited near the end of the exercise, highlighting the need to prepare for drone threats at home.

“We can’t assume that we are only going to face these threats overseas,” Telle said in a social media video recorded at Yuma’s Castle Dome Heliport.

“It really all comes down to fundamentals. We want simple, reliable systems that work every time,” said Brig. Gen. Matthew Ross, the task force’s director.

The task force is also pursuing a major procurement effort. On September 28, the Army awarded counter-drone contracts to 10 companies, including Allen Control Systems, with a combined ceiling of $4.15 billion.

The contracts support Domestic Shield, its effort to protect US bases, and infrastructure from small drones.