Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-California) has said the U.S. Air Force should accelerate the development and acquisition of unmanned aerial systems to counter threats posed by hostile actors that use commercial UAS, Air Force Times reported Thursday.
Matthew Schehl writes Hunter asked Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James to provide details on the service branch’s efforts to deploy counter-UAS technology following the explosion of a drone that was launched by the Islamic State militant group and killed two coalition troops.
“Given this threat, it is important that we continue prioritizing the development and deployment of counter UAS technology, including directed energy, to supplement advances on kinetic targeting,” Hunter told James in a letter.
“This is especially necessary given the accessibility and affordability of UAS in the commercial marketplace and the relative ease of configuring explosives to unmanned platforms,” he added.
Air Force officials said they will respond directly to Hunter once they officially receive his letter, the report stated.
