{"id":24307,"date":"2023-01-10T18:43:07","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T18:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2023\/01\/10\/air-force-unit-exploring-uses-for-small-drones-in-mideast\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:18:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:18:08","slug":"air-force-unit-exploring-uses-for-small-drones-in-mideast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/unmanned\/uas\/2023\/01\/10\/air-force-unit-exploring-uses-for-small-drones-in-mideast\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force unit exploring uses for small drones in Mideast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After struggling to fend off weaponized quadcopters in the Middle East for years, a band of volunteer airmen is trying to flip the script.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new unit, known as \u201cTask Force 99\u2033 at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, wants the U.S. Air Force to use small, store-bought drones to its own advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe ability to protect local populations and our bases against small [unmanned aerial systems] is very important,\u201d said Lt. Col. Erin Brilla, the team\u2019s commander. \u201c[How] can we \u2026 turn that narrative around and impose dilemmas in the other direction?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/12\/02\/us-forces-monitor-mideast-skies-at-qatar-base-amid-world-cup\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"157\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/crowd.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">US forces monitor Mideast skies at Qatar base amid World Cup<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The creation of a task force focused on drones and other off-the-shelf battlefield technology at Al-Udeid Air Base shows the U.S. is in Qatar to stay.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Quadcopters and the like offer several advantages: They are easy to find, cheap to buy, relatively simple to customize and fly, require little upkeep, can be carried essentially anywhere, have a low profile, and are quick to replace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These lightweight drones are far less sophisticated than the Air Force\u2019s remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper or RQ-4 Global Hawk. But they can still wreak havoc when outfitted with cameras, radio jammers or explosives, or if they get sucked into and destroy a jet engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s turned the children\u2019s toy or photographer\u2019s tool into a hallmark of asymmetric warfare over the past decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the coming year, Task Force 99 will mix and match small drones with a variety of low-tech gadgets that could give airmen an upper hand on the battlefield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their first attempt involved an electronic warfare tool that can jump radio frequencies and transmit audio or video over those channels, said Capt. Barrett Kopel, the group\u2019s cyber and systems integration chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2022\/02\/28\/killing-drones-with-thors-hammer-air-force-eyes-counter-uas-mjolnir-weapon\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AFRL-Mjolnir.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Killing drones with Thor\u2019s hammer: Air Force eyes counter-UAS \u2018Mj\u00f6lnir\u2019 weapon<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The head of US Central Command called the emergence of weaponized small drones one of the most concerning tactical developments since the advent of the IED.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was cobbled together using \u201cpieces that you would find if you were to go into an old-school RadioShack\u201d and code they found online, Kopel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They\u2019re tinkering with the contraption to see if it could block nearby frequencies while riding on a drone, among other possibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur first success story, really, is generating and proving that we can take commercial off-the-shelf software, commercial off-the-shelf hardware, and \u2026 apply it towards an operational capability,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brilla said the group has its first small drone ready to collect unclassified images, but needs approval from the Qatari government to fly near the base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt provides orthomosaic and 3D modeling imagery capabilities to look at facilities or landscapes that we\u2019ve previously not been able to access \u2026 due to [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance resource] allocation and competing intelligence requirements,\u201d said Capt. Raymond Revell, the group\u2019s intelligence chief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An orthomosaic, according to the web site dronegenuity.com, is \u201clike Google Earth, but way sharper. It is a large, map-quality image with high detail and resolution made by combining many smaller images called orthophotos.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon\u2019s limited inventory of intelligence assets don\u2019t have the time or bandwidth to map out everything. Drones can help fill that gap so troops can better understand the land around them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe biggest takeaway is how cheap these UASs are, because you can employ a number of them for very low cost, and they\u2019re attritable, so you don\u2019t really care if you lose them or not,\u201d Revell said of store-bought drones, which typically retail for less than $1,500. \u201cIf you do lose them, whatever capability that your adversary has used to take down that drone likely was slightly more expensive than you fielding that drone in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2022\/08\/29\/fewer-troops-in-centcom-no-problem-says-3-star-air-boss\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"214\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/grinch.jpg_0206cd.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Fewer troops in CENTCOM? No problem, says 3-star air boss<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">\u201cHow do we share information? How do we share intelligence? How do we gain a common understanding with each other?\u201d Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another perk: Because the system is unclassified, Americans don\u2019t have to withhold as much information from their foreign partners as they would with a more complex machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s particularly important as U.S. officials hash out the details of how Middle Eastern countries might work together in a regional security collective, making those partner nations less dependent on American forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Middle East air defense alliance would ideally pool resources to secure and monitor the airspace using far fewer U.S. aircraft and sensors than in the past. As part of that effort, Task Force 99 is looking at long-endurance aircraft that can loiter for days and pass the data it collects back to the Air Force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt really boils down to making sure that we are making the best use of our resources to ensure that we have a sufficient and sustainable presence here,\u201d Brilla said. \u201cWe absolutely need each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The effort comes as the U.S. looks to maintain a smaller overseas footprint in the post-Afghanistan War era. The Pentagon has also begun retiring some of the workhorse drones that have played that surveillance role for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Task Force 99 sees those legacy aircraft as useful on their own, but not plentiful or versatile enough to create a true blanket of \u201ceyes in the sky\u201d over a region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s some interesting, different technologies \u2026 that can fly for days,\u201d Brilla said. \u201cWe are laying the groundwork for proofs of concept in 2023, probably in succession, to measure them against each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the unit has to figure out how to funnel the data it collects to the rest of the military in a way that is relevant and understandable.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/unmanned\/2022\/07\/17\/lockheed-working-on-expendable-advanced-drones-to-team-up-with-us-air-force-fighters\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"160\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Lockheed-Skunk-Works-autonomous-wingmen-crop.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Lockheed working on expendable, advanced drones to team up with Air Force fighters<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Lockheed Martin&#039;s Skunk Works hopes to have expendable drones ready for the Air Force to use in the next few years, if a war with China breaks out.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Task force members hope they can succeed where numerous federal programs have failed: Quickly and cheaply getting troops new technology that makes a difference on the battlefield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Task Force 99 became an official unit in mid-October and moved into its own facilities at the end of 2022. The team of eight Americans, plus three troops from Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom, plans to partner with sister organizations in the Army and Navy and is tapping into the resources offered elsewhere in the military\u2019s \u201cinnovation\u201d ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brilla wants to double the size of her team, staying under 20 people, and bring in airmen with experience in support roles like contracting and finance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBy nature of being in a deployed environment, we will have a somewhat rotational force, which is good because it keeps fresh ideas coming in,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we also will need some \u2026 continuity going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Small drones could help the Air Force map unexplored areas and disrupt enemy operations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":71559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":57,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[106,29,32,57,21],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3356],"class_list":["post-24307","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-brief","category-home","category-newsletters","category-uas","category-unmanned"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"BRZHSF233RHRTKALZJO6AWECS4","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-air-force\/2023\/01\/10\/air-force-unit-exploring-uses-for-small-drones-in-mideast\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Air Force unit exploring uses for small drones in Mideast - C4ISRNet<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Small drones could help the Air Force map unexplored areas and disrupt enemy operations.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Air Force unit exploring uses for small drones in Mideast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Small drones could help the Air Force map unexplored areas and disrupt enemy operations.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/unmanned\/uas\/2023\/01\/10\/air-force-unit-exploring-uses-for-small-drones-in-mideast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"C4ISRNet\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-01-10T18:43:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-07T21:18:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rachel S. Cohen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rachel S. Cohen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/unmanned\\\/uas\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/10\\\/air-force-unit-exploring-uses-for-small-drones-in-mideast\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/unmanned\\\/uas\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/10\\\/air-force-unit-exploring-uses-for-small-drones-in-mideast\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/c4isrnet\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            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