“In the early hours of Operation Epic Fury last month, a deployed [Fly-Away Kit] successfully detected and defeated sUAS operating over a strategic U.S. installation,” Guillot said in his written statement ahead of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday.

Although he did not give details about the installation threatened, Guillot revealed that the threat was defeated by USNORTHCOM’s counter-drone Fly-Away Kit.

The FAK is produced by Anduril and was “designed specifically to detect, track, identify and mitigate drone incursions at military installations within the United States,” USNORTHCOM previously said. The kit is manned by a team of 11 soldiers who became operational as a rapid counter-drone response force last November.

The Defense Department’s lead counter-drone task force, Joint Interagency Task Force 401, did not provide specific details about the location or nature of the incident but told Military Times that the unit will continue to monitor the situation.

“We are aware of the action reported by U.S. Northern Command, and we continue to work closely with them on how best to array our c-UAS capability to defend the homeland,” a spokesperson for the JIATF-401 told Military Times.

“We also work with our law enforcement and interagency partners to monitor and investigate illicit drone use around military installations and other defense critical infrastructure. Our top priority is the safety of our service members and civilian personnel that work and live on the base.”

The FAK features an enhanced array of sensors to detect rogue drones, including Anduril’s Wisp, an AI-infrared system with 360-degree motion sensor; a Heimdal mobile sensor trailer that uses thermal optics and radar; and Pulsar, an AI-enhanced electromagnetic warfare platform.

It uses a self-guided drone interceptor called Anvil to home in on and ram drones out of the sky.

USNORTHCOM expects to receive more of the kits in late spring, according to Guillot’s written testimony.

During the committee hearing Thursday, in response to questions from Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., Guillot also revealed that the U.S. has seen a spike in drone intrusions over military installations over the the last year.

“Some of that might be due to the fact that we have more detection capability now than we did in the past, and then our ability to defeat them has improved,” Guillot said. “Whereas a year ago, almost every one that was detected was not defeated. Now about a quarter of the ones that we detect we’re able to defeat.”

Guillot stated that he works closely with U.S. Strategic Command to ensure that submarine silos, aircraft bases and other key locations have adequate protection from potential threats posed by small unmanned aircraft systems.

Meanwhile, as a deterrent to drone intrusions, the Defense Department, along with the Federal Aviation Administration and other federal agencies, announced a zero-tolerance policy toward unauthorized drone flights in restricted airspace, with penalties including fines of over $100,000, criminal charges and imprisonment.

During Operation Skyfall held at Grafenwoehr Training Area, soldiers of the 2-159th Attack Battalion, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, used the Boeing AH-64E Apache to pursue and attack Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

It is not the first time that the Army has ever practiced using Apaches against drones. In December, the service held an air-to-air combat training exercise in Yuma, Arizona, that saw the Apaches destroy a a variety of drones in flight using a 30mm fragmentation round called the APEX.

The exercise in Germany, however, marks the first time that the U.S. Army has wielded Apaches for this purpose in Europe. It is a significant move due to the relevance of anti-drone training for NATO allies.

Soldiers of the 12th CAB train regularly alongside British, Dutch and Polish NATO forces. They remain in Germany as “a tactical necessity,” the service said in a statement last month.

Operation Skyfall is aimed to advance NATO’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, or EFDI, to protect countries in Eastern Europe from incursions.

The Apache has proved well-suited to chasing and killing drones as it can fly at speeds of over 180 miles per hour and is more nimble at maneuvering than many larger fixed-wing aircraft.

Many pilots within the 12th CAB’s attack unit, known as the “Gunslingers Battalion,” had never previously used Apache helicopters in this manner.

“Most pilots in our unit and across the Army have never engaged in air-to-air with the Apache, so this is a new engagement profile for us that we have to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for,” said Maj. Daniel Murphy, operations officer for the battalion, in a statement.

“We’re looking forward to sharing what we learn so we can continue developing the EFDI alongside our NATO allies.”

The new training will provide “a blueprint for Allied aviation units“ across Europe, the Army has stated.

The service also noted that this training is “more critical than ever as Poland prepares to become the second-largest operator of Apaches in the world.”

Last November, Boeing announced that 96 Apaches would be produced for the Polish Armed Forces under a $4.7 billion U.S. Army Foreign Military Sales contract, with deliveries expected to start in 2028.

While the PrSM Increment 2 is part of the U.S. Army’s long-range fire program, it is designed for sea denial. It features a seeker within its navigation system that provides targeting guidance and homes in on fast-moving threats, including ships.

Its new capabilities will allow the Army to “strike relocating or fleeting targets in both land and maritime environments,” according to a statement released by Lockheed.

The company said the first flight test was a “major milestone” and added that missile development was “backed by significant investment,” thus advancing rapidly through initial tests. Two more tests are set to take place this year.

The upgraded missile builds off the foundation of its predecessor, and both systems share common baselines.

Both missiles are compatible with M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, as well as the M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS, which is commonly used in European countries.

The missiles are designed to withstand turbulent in-flight weather conditions, and their warheads are built to deliver fragmentation effects when they explode on impact.

During the recent test, the upgraded PrSM launched from a HIMARS system and flew more than 200 miles.

“With Increment 2, PrSM delivers the long-range capability the Army asked for to defeat moving land and maritime threats,” Carolyn Orzechowski, vice president of Lockheed Martin Precision Fires Launchers and Missiles, said in the statement.

Production of the the original PrSM was already accelerated last fall prior to its combat debut in Operation Epic Fury, during which it was fired against Iranian targets from HIMARS launchers positioned in open terrain.

The PrSM was launched among an array of weapons systems, including Patriot Interceptor Missile Systems and THAAD Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems. LUCAS one-way attack drones were also used for the first time by the U.S. Special Operations Command-led Task Force Scorpion Strike.

The Pentagon announced the CAMP program last April with the release of a solicitation calling for a new class of XL-AUV, or extra large underwater vehicle.

The solicitation called for a large underwater vessel that could maneuver in GPS-denied environments, dive over roughly 656 feet (200 meters) deep and drop “various payloads to the sea floor.” It specified that the vessel had to stay underwater for prolonged periods and be able to be transported and recovered easily by commercially available freight and logistics equipment.

Anduril was chosen for the CAMP program after wrapping the longest-ever XL-AUV demonstration, per a company statement. It will conduct an extended demonstration of its Dive-XL platform within four months of contract award.

“The subsea domain currently is patrolled and serviced by a very small number of exquisite capabilities,” Dr. Shane Arnott, senior vice president of Anduril’s maritime division, told reporters at a March 11 roundtable. “The Pacific and also the High North, which is the new fight that’s starting around the Arctic, are water-based fights. So it’s a no-brainer that robots are needed to supplement the crewed systems.”

The Dive-XL meets many of the desired features noted in the original CAMP solicitation. The vehicle is propelled by an all-electric powertrain that allows it to speed through the depths without needing to break the surface and can travel in excess of 2,000 nautical miles.

It has a highly flexible design that be modified for different mission types, including reconnaissance, and can carry up to three payload modules at once. These loads can include smaller unmanned underwater vehicles, effectively making the Dive-XL an type of mothership for even smaller drones that can conduct surveillance or strike underwater.

Additionally, the Dive-XL platform fits into commercial freight containers and can be transported via train or trucks, which corresponds to the Navy’s demand for a modular, easy-to-use system.

Anduril’s selection for the project follows its formal adoption last September by the Royal Australian Navy to deliver a fleet of AI unmanned submarine called Ghost Sharks within the next three years.

“By working hand-in-hand with the [Federal Aviation Administration] and our interagency partners, we are ensuring that these cutting-edge capabilities are safe, effective, and ready to protect Americans from emerging drone threats,” U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of the JIATF-401, stated in a release. “Our measure of success is to quickly deliver state-of-the-art C-UAS capability to the warfighter, and this test furthers that mission.”

The release did not state the specific laser system being tested.

The test will be conducted in partnership with the FAA. It aims to address FAA safety concerns about lasers, and will gather data for the agency regarding eye safety for aircrews and potential effects on aircraft during tests conducted using aircraft surrogate models, according to the release. The trials will also test laser systems’ automatic safety shut-off functions.

The test will focus on demonstrating the systems’ built-in safety features and training protocols to allow operators to use them securely and effectively. The laser will engage a variety of targets.

High-energy laser systems are manufactured by many leading defense contractors and provide a “soft kill” approach to taking out small drones using photons, or light particles. The concentrated beams track small unmanned aircraft systems and burn them with focused rays, bringing them down without expending munitions.

The test is part of a steady upswing in the integration of laser weapons into the services. Last year, the U.S. Army released a Request for Information to obtain up to 20 high-energy laser weapons to kill three different classes of drones. This followed a U.S. Navy disclosure that the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Preble fired a high-energy laser weapon against a drone during an exercise.

Video released Wednesday shows the next-gen munitions being launched in open desert terrain from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems as part of Operation Epic Fury. The operation against Iran has seen a variety of precision munitions launched from land, sea and air, according to CENTCOM.

“I just could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform leveraging innovation to create dilemmas for the enemy,” Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in a release.

The PrSM is enhanced with GPS capabilities to navigate in flight and can accurately strike targets from around 250 miles away. Its warhead is designed to deliver a fragmentation effect when it explodes, increasing power on impact. The missile, meanwhile, is reportedly built to withstand turbulent in-flight conditions.

The PrSM is among a wide array of advanced technological assets the U.S. military has deployed during its ongoing operations in Iran.

Other notable weapon deployments in the ongoing conflict include Patriot Interceptor Missile Systems and THAAD Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems. LUCAS one-way attack drones were also used for the first time in combat by the U.S. Special Operations Command-led Task Force Scorpion Strike.

Specific details about the targets engaged by the PrSMs have not been provided as of publication.

Prior to its combat debut, the U.S. Army was working with Lockheed Martin to ramp up production capacity for the munition, Defense News reported last October.

The Army tested its short-range and long-range capabilities on White Sands Missile Range in April and September of last year. Tests saw the munitions fired from HIMARS systems as well as the M270A2 Multiple Launch Rocket System, or MLRS.

Operation Epic Fury has seen over 2,000 military targets across Iran destroyed, the Pentagon said, including a naval frigate that was sunk in the first torpedo kill by a U.S. Navy submarine since World War II.

The Agile Cyber Training Environment, or ACTE, was designed by Senior Master Sgt. Taylor Gow. The project was accepted into the U.S. Air Force’s Spark Tank 2026 initiative.

Spark Tank is an annual competition held by the service in which Air Force and U.S. Space Force personnel can pitch their innovations to senior leadership.

Gow developed the system to allow airmen to conduct cyber warfare training on the go, rather than be confined to ranges and labs. It’s portable, affordable to produce and can be used for a wide array of training simulations, according to the Air National Guard.

He used the system to test defensive and offensive cyber tactics alongside Army, Air Force and law enforcement personnel in training with the Massachusetts Cyber Incident Response Team.

Gow also used photogrammetry on the system to process images taken by drones.

“Traditional cyber ranges and lab environments require significant infrastructure, formal approval processes and/or enterprise connectivity. This creates delays and limits how quickly we can innovate or train on emerging threats,” Gow said in a statement.

The system has the potential to increase training hours due to its accessibility.

“The ACTE was designed by an Airman, for Airmen,” Gow said. “This platform is intended to provide an environment to test, train and develop at the squadron level. I hope that, regardless of the outcome, the 102nd IW will recognize the critical gaps the ACTE fills.”

The new system builds on the Massachusetts National Guard’s cyber warfare capabilities. Last year, guardsmen from Massachusetts deployed to Paraguay and Israel to take part in joint cyber training exercises with international allies.

Announced today, the autonomous systems manufacturer will provide two types of its Switchblade family of loitering munitions to the Army, including the Switchblade 600 Block 2 and the Switchblade 300 Block 20 variants.

Loitering munitions are Unmanned Aircraft Systems that represent a blend of FPV drones and guided missiles. Known as “kamikaze” or one-way attack drones, they can seek targets and hover for long periods before zeroing in and exploding on command.

The 600 Block 2 was developed by AV in collaboration with U.S. Special Operations Command and is designed for use in a variety of remote and hostile environments. It can be used at sea and features advanced Artificial Intelligence capabilities that allow it to detect and lock on targets faster.

Its sister system, the 300 Block 2, is a “tank killer” loitering munition that can seek targets at extended ranges beyond line of sight. According to AV, the Army has ordered it equipped with an Explosively Formed Penetrator payload for the first time — a warhead that packs extra punch against armor. The system, designed for small units, is small enough to be carried in a backpack.

Last October, soldiers of the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division tested the Switchblade 600 system at Fort Hood, Military Times reported.

“This delivery order reflects the Army’s confidence in the next evolution of the Switchblade family and its relevance to modern, contested battlefields,” Brian Young, Senior Vice President of Loitering Munitions at AV, said in a statement.

“As we continue to invest in expanding Switchblade manufacturing capacity and accelerating delivery timelines, we are continuing to meet the growing demand for these products from U.S. and allied forces.”

Ursa Major, a Colorado-based defense manufacturer, debuted the HAVOC missile system on Tuesday.

The medium-range hypersonic system is powered by a liquid rocket engine, is able to alter its speed in flight and can be adapted for use with a wide variety of rocket motor systems from warplanes to vertical launch systems.

Additionally, the system can be deployed outside of Earth’s atmosphere, according to the company.

“Keeping pace with our adversaries requires more than exquisite systems. It requires speed to delivery, affordability, and the ability to build at scale,” Chris Spagnoletti, CEO of Ursa Major, said in a statement.

“The Ursa Major HAVOC Missile System delivers a highly capable hypersonic weapon designed from the start to be produced rapidly and in quantity, giving the warfighter a credible and adaptable capability.”

The system has a core module that makes it suitable for striking hypersonic targets as well, the company adds.

Hypersonic missiles, which fly at roughly five times the speed of sound, have become a priority across all U.S. military branches.

The Army, Air Force and Navy are all developing hypersonic missile programs, including: the Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon; the Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile; and the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike programs.

While the services have aimed for hypersonic weapons since the early 2000s, development has lagged while Russia and China have gained advantages in this arena.

In a notable divergence, Russian and Chinese hypersonic missiles are designed to field nuclear warheads, while U.S. hypersonics are not.

“Most U.S. hypersonic weapons, in contrast to those in Russia and China, are not being designed for use with a nuclear warhead,” according to a Congressional Research Service report published last August.

The report predicted that U.S. hypersonics would “likely require greater accuracy and will be more technically challenging to develop than nuclear-armed Chinese and Russian systems,” while also noting that Russian and Chinese systems would have a potential advantage since nuclear weapons can inflict devastating damage without need for accuracy.

China has a robust hypersonic program and has conducted up to 20 times as many hypersonic missile tests than the U.S., and is also investing in underground facilities, per the report.

“Analysts disagree about the strategic implications of hypersonic weapons,” the report notes, adding that Congress has previously restricted funding due to concerns of nuclear escalation.

“Differences in threat perception and escalation ladders could thus result in unintended escalation,” the report concluded.

Honeywell will adapt its design for its existing SkyShot 1600 engine to fit unmanned aircraft in the Air Force’s Collaborate Combat Aircraft program as well as other uncrewed systems, according to a company statement.

The SkyShot is a compact engine designed for use in autonomous aircraft. It delivers powerful thrust capability with either turbofan or turbojet propulsion. Turbofan distributes airflow more evenly and quietly, while turbojet is typically used for supersonic military jet engines and missiles.

“We’ve combined decades of proven technologies with the latest advancements to create an engine that can keep pace with cost, speed and performance demands of next-generation platforms,” Dave Marinick, president of Engines and Power Systems at Honeywell, said in the statement.

“We look forward to supporting the U.S. Air Force in the next phase of collaborative combat aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems propulsion efforts.”

The CCA aircraft are unmanned systems powered by jet engines that are designed to maneuver and fly alongside human pilots performing a variety of mission sets, including reconnaissance, air-to-ground and air-to-air combat.

Last July, the Air Force carried out an exercise in which fighter pilots maneuvered two Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie drones in cohesion with an F-16C Fighting Falcon and an F-15 Strike Eagle.

The U.S. Navy is also exploring CCA technology, awarding contracts to Anduril, Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, Boeing and Northrop Grumman to develop drone aircraft capable of being launched from aircraft carriers.