Lankford Prioritizes Counter-Drone Readiness for US National Security and Allies

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Strengthening Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations (C-UAS) Partnerships Act, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Defense to bolster our work with our allies and increase training capacity in counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) with partners like Israel who also lead in this area. These efforts include ongoing preparedness training and development of systems to be sure our warfighters are ready for the mounting threat of drones and UAS.

“As nations around the world—allies and adversaries—advance unmanned aerial systems and drone technology, we need to be confident we are ready to face the threat,” said Lankford. “The Fires Center of Excellence at Ft. Sill  continues to lead the way in equipping and training current and future warfighters to combat the newest threats to our national security. My legislation gives Ft. Sill the support and authority they need to increase our focus on counter-UAS work to help our service members and our allies stay ahead of the rest of the world.”

The Army’s Fires Center of Excellence, located at Ft. Sill in Lawton, OK, plans to establish a joint C-UAS academy that would give every warfighter a basic level of instruction in C-UAS and establish a common curriculum that can be used by every service and at any level for this important initiative. The academy will synchronize training on counter-drone tactics for all military services, standardize best practices, and create C-UAS subject matter experts for joint training for all levels, from operator-level knowledge to higher-level training for leadership.

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