On Sunday, a lethal drone attack targeted Tower 22, a military base in Jordan near the Syrian border, resulting in the deaths of three U.S. troops and injuries to at least 34 others. The attack, the third of its kind in six months, has exposed a critical gap in U.S. defenses that the Pentagon is now racing to address.
The assault was conducted using a one-way drone, a type of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programmed to hit a target without requiring an operator to steer it after launch. According to a Defense official, Tower 22 had previously faced two similar attacks.
In response to the increasing threats posed by such attacks, the White House has pointed the blame at Iranian-backed militias, which have escalated their activities in recent weeks. Since Israel's invasion of Gaza, over 150 attacks targeting U.S. troop bases in the Middle East have been recorded.
President Joe Biden has vowed retaliation for the deadly assault, acknowledging it as the first incident involving U.S. troop casualties. The Pentagon's Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) office, recognizing the emerging threat of one-way drones, conducted tests in Arizona in July to evaluate potential countermeasures.
Among the promising technologies identified was the use of high-powered microwaves to disable and destroy drones. However, a combination of defense strategies, including missile interceptions, will be necessary to effectively confront this evolving threat.
The Biden administration has accused Iran of training and equipping militants to carry out drone, rocket, and missile attacks across the Middle East. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, during a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Air Force Gen. Charles Brown, attributed the attack to Iran and linked it to similar incidents involving Red Sea shipping by Houthi militants in Yemen.
The Pentagon is actively working to fill the defense gap exposed by these attacks. Efforts include the development and deployment of advanced counter-drone systems, as well as enhanced intelligence gathering and sharing to anticipate and prevent future threats. The evolving nature of drone technology demands a proactive and adaptable approach from U.S. defense forces to protect its troops and maintain regional stability.
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