ARLINGTON, Virginia — The U.S. military is looking to the war in Ukraine to see how it has worked to defend against Russian drones, which are spinoffs from the Iranian machines now targeting U.S. personnel all across the Middle East.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that the United States and European countries have requested Ukraine’s “expertise,” and it is “open” to providing it. While U.S. officials had sought Ukraine’s assistance before the current war in Iran, the deaths of six service members in a drone attack actualized those concerns.
Later in the day, he added, “I gave instructions to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the required security. Ukraine helps partners who help ensure our security and protect the lives of our people.”
Six American service members were killed on Sunday by a one-way attack drone in Kuwait at the Port of Shuaiba, a day after the U.S. and Israel commenced their dual wars against Iran.
The troops that were killed were: Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35; Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39; Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20; and Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45. Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, is believed to be the other casualty, but a medical examiner has yet to confirm his identity.
Last year, the Pentagon established Joint Interagency Task Force 401 to lead a multiagency effort to improve America’s counter-drone defenses. The head of the task force is Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, who coincidentally was in Ukraine last week.
“I went to understand the technology that they’re using to protect their sites and their people from the threat of unmanned systems. And I did it to understand the TTPs — tactics, techniques and procedures — that they’re employing very effectively to protect their forces,” Ross told a small group of reporters on Thursday during the task force’s first industry day in Arlington, Virginia.
The visit “confirmed the direction we’re heading for counter UAS,” he said.
“It confirmed that we have to start with the network, and that’s what they have in Ukraine,” Ross continued. “They have an integrated network of acoustic, passive, and active sensing that allows them to see threats coming from the east, north, and south, and they can see them in depth, and then array forces and effectors to be able to defeat those threats before they get to the target. We need to do the same thing.“
With the events in the Middle East over the last week, the task force has “elevated the sense of urgency,” he added, noting that JIATF-401 was created “because we didn’t want to wait for a 9/11 event inside the United States to address the threat of unmanned systems.”
Ross disputed, however, that Shahed drones are “a new problem” for American service members, though the military has adjusted how it wants to combat it with the rapid evolution and proliferation of drone technology.
Ukraine desperately needs additional air defense systems and the munitions that those systems require to fend off Russian ballistic and cruise missile attacks. Broadly, those systems are much more expensive than drones and are not designed to hit such projectiles, which is why the U.S. is trying to find cheaper ways to defend against drones.
“Regarding weapons: We ourselves are at war. And I said, completely frankly, that we have a shortage of what they have. They have missiles for the Patriots, but hundreds or thousands of ‘Shaheds’ cannot be intercepted with Patriot missiles — it is too costly,” Zelensky added. “Nothing is too much for the people, of course, but they simply do not have that many missiles. That is why they need interceptor drones, which we have. Meanwhile, we have a shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. So, when it comes to technology or weapons exchange, I believe our country will be open to it.”
There is a heightened sense of concern in the U.S. that there could be domestic attacks related to the war, like the deadly shooting in Austin, Texas, after the start of the war.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she is coordinating with intelligence and law enforcement partners to “closely monitor and thwart any potential threats to the homeland.”
“Of course, we’re paying attention to any potentialities there,” War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday morning during a Pentagon press briefing. “This is a former regime, a regime that seeks to export that ideology try to sow terror. We’re ready for that. We’ve seen these types of folks before, and the American people can rest assured that we’re vigilant on that.”
