RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany -- U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa is advancing its defensive posture against the growing threat of unmanned aerial systems by fielding and testing new equipment and enhancing training for Airmen across the theater.
“Our ability to project combat airpower must be protected by layered, integrated air defense capabilities," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Jason T. Hinds, U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa commander. “We have equipped and trained our personnel with enhanced systems, and installation commanders have the authority and responsibility to defend our forces.”
Building on previous operational utility assessments of point defense, this is part of a broader effort to expand and continually evolve aerial defense requirements. The goal is to develop a more integrated and adaptable defense architecture for our forces in Europe and Africa. These changes align with the Department of War directive and U.S. Air Force initiatives to advance counter-drone capabilities, with a clear focus on overseas considerations including host-nation law enforcement capabilities and host-nation coordination.
“The modern threat has erased the idea of a safe haven; inexpensive and highly adaptable UAS technology can hold any installation or operating location at risk,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Victoria Habas, USAFE-AFAFRICA Plans and Programs Directorate for Integrated Air and Missile Defense.
With U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command’s focus on innovation and harnessing cutting-edge technologies, USAFE-AFAFRICA has various systems available that can disrupt or neutralize unmanned systems that may encroach on the perimeter of our installations and threaten air operations. To ensure readiness and proficiency, Airmen from Operations Support Squadrons and Security Forces defenders in Base Defense Operations Centers undergo continuous training to effectively employ these defensive capabilities to protect personnel and resources.
“There is no single ‘silver bullet’ for the counter-UAS challenge,” said Jason Parker, Headquarters USAFE-AFAFRICA Logistics, Engineering, and Force protection directorate, chief, technology integration branch. “The capabilities of drones vary significantly in size, speed, altitude, and how they are controlled. Some can be disrupted through electronic means, while others are more resistant, requiring different approaches.”
To address this complexity, USAFE-AFAFRICA employs a layered defense strategy, integrating a range of sensors and effectors into a cohesive network.
“Our layered defense allows us to detect, track, identify, and defeat potential threats while enhancing situational awareness and minimizing risk,” Parker said. “By combining multiple technologies, we create a resilient architecture that can adapt as the threat evolves.”
Once sensors track and identify a threat, effectors can be employed ranging from non-kinetic systems that jam the signal between a UAS and its operator up to directed energy capabilities and kinetic interceptors designed specifically to neutralize a UAS threat.
One such technology, the Compact Laser Weapon System or CLWS, has been recently assessed and deployed to locations across the theater. While the specific locations where the CLWS capability is in place are withheld for operational security reasons, the system does not operate in isolation; it is integrated into the base's broader air defense network and if employed, coordinated with host-nation authorities.
An operator in the base defense operations center uses the CLWS to visually identify and confirm if a detected contact is an unauthorized drone, preventing the misidentification of friendly aircraft or even birds.
In addition to the CLWS, USAFE-AFAFRICA has also tested a ground-based interceptor system with coordination of host-nation authorities, the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System, that employs a laser-guided 2.75-inch rocket to intercept UAS threats up to six kilometers away.
This enhanced capability and integrated architecture empowers all base personnel by providing unified situational awareness, enabling faster, more informed decisions, and offering a spectrum of response options. However, technology is only one part of the equation. People remain the first line of defense.
“Everyone plays a role in securing our mission and people, including family members and civilians who can always report suspicious activity to the base defense operations center,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Benjamin Washburn, Headquarters USAFE-AFAFRICA Logistics, Engineering, and Force Protection security forces division chief. “Overseas, we work closely with our host-nation law enforcement counterparts, and they are an indispensable part of our first line of defense.”
By fostering a culture of vigilance and leveraging a technologically advanced, layered defense system, USAFE-AFAFRICA is ensuring its installations remain secure, its personnel are ready to respond to any threat, at any time; and our most valuable asset, “human capital” is protected.