US Army Tests Counter-Drone Technology Along Mexico Border

The US Army is testing advanced counter-drone technology along the US-Mexico border as it works to strengthen defenses against drones used by criminal cartels while drawing lessons from the Ukraine-Russia war.

During the Falcon Peak exercise conducted by US Northern Command in Arizona in September, soldiers evaluated technologies including radar systems, interceptor drones and autonomous weapons designed to detect, track and neutralize small unmanned aircraft.

Army officials said most drones detected crossing the southern border are commercially available models used by criminal groups for surveillance connected to smuggling and human trafficking. Brigadier General Brian Filler, deputy commander for operations at Joint Task Force Southern Border, said the military recorded 378 drone incursions over the previous 30 days, with activity continuing to rise.

Filler said the aircraft are largely off-the-shelf commercial drones equipped with cameras and are frequently spotted during cross-border movements.

The US military also said earlier this month that it had destroyed 11 cartel drones with laser systems since deploying the technology along the border in August.

While officials stressed that cartel drones are generally less sophisticated than systems deployed in Ukraine or the Middle East, the border provides a real-world testing ground for counter-drone equipment and military training.

The Pentagon is particularly interested in adopting the rapid technology development seen in Ukraine, where drones have become central to modern warfare. Russia's 2022 invasion also triggered billions of dollars in investment in defense technology companies developing drones, autonomous systems and counter-drone weapons.

Technologies demonstrated during Falcon Peak included Anduril's Ghost drone, Teledyne FLIR's radar and camera detection platform, Allen Control Systems' Bullfrog automated counter-drone gun and an interceptor drone from Powerus, which went public Thursday through a merger with a company backed by sons of President Donald Trump.

Brigadier General Matt Ross said the Army should learn from Ukraine's ability to rapidly modify battlefield technology.

Rather than simply admiring how quickly Ukrainian forces adapt on a daily or weekly basis, Ross said the US military should work to replicate that innovation process.