Joint interagency and law enforcement senior leaders met to establish a shared understanding of counter-small unmanned aerial system threat detection and mitigation best practices during a law enforcement symposium hosted by the Joint Task Force National Capital Region at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia, Dec. 11.
The joint task force, in partnership with Joint Interagency Task Force 401, used lessons learned from a recent counter-small UAS exercise held at Fort McNair, Washington, to bridge knowledge gaps and strengthen partnerships.
The symposium brought together leaders from the War Department, civilian law enforcement and World Cup host cities to discuss counter-small UAS capabilities and limitations, as well as optimizing resource sharing and procurement.
"The goal of the day is to be able to share the lessons learned from our recent threat simulation exercise and work together to strengthen the law enforcement correlation, as required for high-profile events that are on the horizon," said Army Brig. Gen. Antoinette Gant, joint task force commanding general.
The joint task force remains committed to leading these efforts in the National Capital Region to ensure collaboration that is necessary to evolving and increased security challenges, Gant said.
"We must leverage the insights we gained today to enhance our small UAS capabilities and our operational readiness as we continue to break down barriers internally and externally to the military and interagency, state and local law enforcement partners," the general said.
The increased use of small UAS, or drones, presents a rapidly evolving threat landscape that requires a coordinated approach and cooperation across all government agencies to effectively address everything from detection and tracking to mitigation and neutralization.
"The problem with a drone is it is completely indifferent to land boundaries, it's completely indifferent to where federal property becomes state property, becomes a local monitor area, and the violence that can be inflicted is nearly limitless because of the low price," said Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. "From the Army perspective, now is the time we have to [take on this challenge]; we have to do it together."
Effective counter-small UAS threat mitigation requires real-time information sharing between federal, state and local entities, and establishing clear command and control structures during incidents. This was expertly demonstrated in the recent exercise at Fort McNair, where the joint task force worked with local law enforcement to detect and mitigate simulated small UAS threats.
"It's not a matter of if, but when we'll have to exercise our counter-drone defenses," said Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 director. "We all share the same sense of urgency to keep pace with this growing threat, and I believe that collectively in this room, we've got the resources and the expertise to keep the public safe. Nothing is more important than the homeland, our people, our first responders and supporting warfighters both at home and abroad."