U.S. Northern Command deputy warns of domestic drone swarm vulnerability

Lieutenant General Joseph Jarrard, deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), stated that the United States is currently unable to defend against a drone swarm launched from within its own borders. Speaking at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, Jarrard noted that the military lacks the necessary sensors to detect such attacks and the effectors required to intercept them.

While detection capabilities have improved, the ability to defeat drones remains limited. General Gregory Guillot, commander of NORTHCOM and NORAD, previously informed the Senate Armed Services Committee that the command is only able to defeat approximately one-quarter of detected drones, a significant increase from nearly zero the previous year.

Planners are concerned by low-cost, close-range attack models, such as Ukraine’s ‘Operation Spiderweb,’ where drones were launched from vehicles near airbases. Congressional reports indicated that over 350 drone incursions were detected across 100 military installations in 2024.