DID Press: Joseph Jarrard, a US Army general and deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command, acknowledged at a defense conference in Alabama that the United States is currently unable to counter a large-scale drone attack on its territory.
Asked about the country’s ability to defend against such a threat, Jarrard said: “No, we are not ready.” He explained that the United States does not have the necessary sensors to detect drones and that, depending on where an attack might occur, there may be no systems available to track them.
The U.S. military official stressed that countering the drone threat depends on interceptor systems, which he said are currently in serious shortage. He also pointed to Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian military bases as an example and warned that similar tactics could potentially pose a threat to U.S. territory.
Previously, General Gregory Guillot, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), also warned that U.S. systems can intercept only a portion of the drones they detect, leaving the country vulnerable to mass attacks.
Jarrard’s remarks once again highlight a significant gap in U.S. air defenses, a vulnerability that could carry serious security and political implications for Washington. The Pentagon is currently seeking billions of dollars to develop counter-drone systems, but experts say the deployment process and coordination among different agencies continue to face major challenges.