Air Force Establishes Counter-Drone Task Force at Grand Forks Base

New Point Defense Battle Lab to develop tactics and procedures to protect military installations from small drone threats

Jan. 28, 2026 at 3:47pm

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The U.S. Air Force has created a new task force based at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota to help develop and validate enhanced tactics, techniques and procedures for protecting military installations from small unmanned aerial systems. The Point Defense Battle Lab will conduct exercises with industry partners to test the Air Force's current counter-drone capabilities and update its procedures accordingly.

Why it matters

The creation of this task force highlights the growing threat posed by small drones to U.S. military bases, both domestically and abroad. It reflects the Pentagon's efforts to improve its counter-sUAS posture after a number of drone incursions over military installations last year. The lab's work will help the Air Force stay ahead of this rapidly evolving threat.

The details

The Point Defense Battle Lab will be led by the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks AFB, with support from the Kansas Air National Guard's 184th Wing and industry partners. The lab will not be responsible for testing new counter-drone technologies, but rather designing exercises to put the Air Force's current capabilities to the test. This will allow the service to update its tactics, techniques and procedures for detecting, tracking and destroying small drone threats. The partnership with the 184th Wing is critical, as the unit brings expertise in areas like cyber operations, air battle management and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

  • In October, the Air Force selected the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks AFB to spearhead the new Point Defense Battle Lab.
  • Following a number of drone incursions over U.S. military bases last year, the Defense Department has put considerable effort into improving its counter-sUAS posture.

The players

Col. Alfred Rosales

Commander of the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base.

Col. Joe Deeds

Commander of the 184th Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard.

GrandSKY

A commercial UAS business and aviation park that has an enhanced use lease with Grand Forks Air Force Base, allowing the base to use its space for experiments.

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What they’re saying

“We're not going to become a new test base for the Air Force testing things that have never been turned on. This is an opportunity for us to build out exercises to further show that we can maintain our resiliency when it comes to defending the base and maintain our tactical air superiority above the airfield here.”

— Col. Alfred Rosales, Commander, 319th Reconnaissance Wing

“Our air battle managers, cyber warriors, ISR operators and AI specialists are ready to work alongside the 319th Reconnaissance Wing to ensure the success of the Point Defense Battle Lab and to enhance the security of Air Force installations.”

— Col. Joe Deeds, Commander, 184th Wing

What’s next

The Point Defense Battle Lab plans to regularly host exercises at Grand Forks Air Base, where industry vendors will be invited to participate with their existing counter-drone capabilities. The events will allow airmen to use the equipment against simulated adversaries to test the Air Force's current tactics and procedures so that Air Combat Command can update them.

The takeaway

This new task force underscores the Air Force's commitment to staying ahead of the evolving small drone threat to its military installations. By leveraging the expertise of the 184th Wing and collaborating with industry partners, the Point Defense Battle Lab aims to develop the tactics, techniques and procedures needed to protect U.S. bases from this growing security challenge.