Joint Interagency Task Force 401 has concluded Falcon Peak 26.2 at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, completing a counter-UAS operational experimentation exercise conducted in support of U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Border.
The exercise evaluated emerging counter-unmanned aircraft systems alongside operational warfighters and interagency partners and established permanent counter-UAS testing and evaluation lanes at Yuma Proving Ground for continued use by defense organizations and industry.
Falcon Peak 26.2 Counter UAS Testing Supports Homeland Defense
Falcon Peak 26.2 was designed to assess counter-UAS technologies against evolving unmanned threats in operationally relevant conditions.
The exercise directly supported:
- U.S. Northern Command
- Joint Task Force Southern Border
- Operational military units
- Interagency partners
- Counter-UAS technology developers
“Countering the threat of drones is both a warfighting and a homeland defense imperative,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401.
“Unmanned threats will continue to evolve, which increases the risk at home. We conducted Falcon Peak to support Northern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Border, working directly with users in the field to ensure we understand their needs and deliver the best capability on the market.”
Systems Evaluated Against Standardized Test Criteria
During Falcon Peak 26.2, participating technologies were evaluated using standardized Department of War test criteria.
Performance information collected during the exercise was consolidated into JIATF-401’s centralized data repository.
According to JIATF-401, the resulting data is intended to support:
- Rapid technology assessments
- Acquisition decisions
- Comparison of system performance
- Continued counter-UAS development
The process is designed to provide a consistent framework for evaluating emerging capabilities.
Yuma Proving Ground Gains Enduring Counter-UAS Test Lanes
One of the most significant outcomes of Falcon Peak 26.2 is the establishment of dedicated counter-UAS testing and evaluation lanes at Yuma Proving Ground.
The lanes will remain operational following the exercise.
This allows commercial developers and defense partners to continue testing systems without waiting for another Falcon Peak event.
“One of the primary benefits of Yuma Proving Ground is its range instrumentation,” Ross said. “Industry partners need to know the exact details of how their product performs.”
“By establishing enduring counter-UAS test lanes here, industry does not have to wait for the next iteration of Falcon Peak to improve their systems. Companies can come directly to the range, receive immediate feedback, iterate on their systems, and rapidly deliver improved tools to our service members.”
Persistent Testing Could Accelerate Counter-UAS Development
The permanent test lanes are intended to create an ongoing environment where developers can evaluate new technologies and make changes based on measured performance.
The process could allow companies to:
- Test counter-UAS technologies
- Receive performance feedback
- Refine system designs
- Retest updated configurations
- Support faster delivery of improved capabilities
JIATF-401 said the objective is to build a continuous technology development pipeline rather than relying only on periodic experimentation events.
Interoperability Central to Counter-UAS Strategy
Ross emphasized that countering unmanned aircraft will require multiple technologies working together rather than a single system.
“There is no single solution or silver bullet to solve this problem,” Ross said. “Counter-UAS systems must function like Lego blocks.”
“By standardizing common protocols and tactical interfaces, we are enabling vendors to plug their capabilities directly into our command-and-control networks. We don’t just want to buy finished products. We want to build an enduring ecosystem of industry partners capable of continuous adaptation.”
The approach emphasizes interoperability between sensors, effectors, command-and-control systems and other counter-UAS technologies.
Standard Interfaces Support Multi-Vendor Integration
JIATF-401 said standardized protocols and tactical interfaces are intended to allow technologies from different companies to integrate with existing command-and-control networks.
This modular approach could allow military users to combine different counter-UAS components based on mission requirements.
The goal is to support systems that can evolve as unmanned threats, sensors and defeat technologies change.
drones.mil Connects Industry and Operational Users
JIATF-401 is also directing commercial developers, defense organizations and warfighters to the Department’s centralized counter-UAS marketplace at drones.mil.
According to the announcement, the platform provides information covering:
- Testing standards
- Commercial opportunities
- Counter-UAS requirements
- Connections between developers and operational users
The marketplace is intended to work alongside the permanent Yuma testing lanes to create a more continuous path from technology development to operational evaluation.
JIATF-401 Builds Continuous Counter-UAS Pipeline
“Our goal is to ensure the limiting factor in defending our nation is never the equipment,” Ross said.
“By pairing persistent testing lanes at Yuma with the marketplace resources at drones.mil, we are building a continuous pipeline that moves verified, combat-effective C-UAS capabilities from the proving ground into the hands of warfighters at home and abroad.”
The Falcon Peak 26.2 counter UAS exercise established more than a temporary test event. By creating enduring test lanes at Yuma Proving Ground, JIATF-401 is building a persistent environment for evaluating, refining and integrating counter-drone technologies as unmanned threats continue to evolve.
Source: Joint Interagency Task Force 401 release on Falcon Peak 26.2
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