Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Jarrard, deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command and vice commander of the American contingent at North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), told attendees at the annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium that American military bases remain "ill-equipped" to defend against a swarm of small attack drones.
Jarrard said some installations lack both the sensors needed to spot and track an incoming drone formation and the weapons required to neutralize it. "We don't have the sensors, and depending on where that swarm is going to attack, it depends on whether we have any sensors at all, and also whether we've got any effectors to go after that problem," he said.
The commander said NORTHCOM is folding counter-drone tactics into Operation Noble Eagle, the long-running U.S.-Canada homeland air-defense mission. For now, NORAD is relying on radars already in its inventory while working to connect with local law enforcement and other agencies operating detection systems beyond military installations.
"Detection is obviously the biggest issue, and so how we are able to detect is one of our biggest concerns right now," Jarrard said. "That's where we've got to get to with respect to the interoperability between not just military systems, but also those that are protecting our cities, critical infrastructure, etc., that are off our installations."
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive defense analysts and Democratic lawmakers have seized on Jarrard's assessment to argue for sustained investment in domestic counter-drone capabilities. Rep. Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat with military experience, has long advocated for modernizing homeland defense against asymmetric threats.
"Cheap drones are changing the calculus everywhere from Ukraine to the Middle East," one Senate Armed Services Committee aide said, speaking on background. "If adversaries can threaten bases and infrastructure without firing missiles, we need defenses that don't cost $1 million per intercept."
Civil liberties advocates have raised separate concerns about expanding counter-drone authorities. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has warned that increased domestic drone-defense powers could blur lines between military and law enforcement operations on American soil.
"We need to be thoughtful about how NORAD integrates with civilian systems," a progressive defense policy researcher said. "Interoperability is good, but we shouldn't militarize air-space monitoring over American cities."
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative defense hawks welcomed Jarrard's blunt assessment as validation of their push for accelerated military modernization. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has championed increased counter-drone funding as part of broader defense authorization debates.
"This confirms what we've been saying—the threat is real and it's here," a committee Republican staffer said. "The administration is right to pursue Golden Dome, but we also need immediate capabilities for base protection."
Supporters of President Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile-defense initiative pointed to Jarrard's comments as evidence the homeland defense plan must account for drone threats alongside ballistic and hypersonic missiles. The $21 billion request for drones and counter-drone weapons reflects bipartisan consensus that gaps must close quickly.
"Ukraine has shown us what cheap one-way attack drones can do," said a Heritage Foundation defense analyst. "Our bases are vulnerable right now, and the men and women stationed there deserve better protection."
What the Numbers Show
The Pentagon is seeking $21 billion for drones, counter-drone weapons, munitions and related capabilities in its current budget request—a figure that represents a significant increase from prior years.
Jarrard's warning echoes concerns raised in May by NORTHCOM commander Gen. Gregory Guillot, who said troops deployed along the southern border lacked adequate counter-drone tools.
The military is pursuing multiple technological pathways: radio-frequency systems that can jam drone communications or interfere with satellite navigation; high-powered microwave weapons designed to disrupt electronics across multiple nearby drones simultaneously; and high-energy lasers nearing fielding through the Army's Enduring High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program, which could reach contract award soon.
The comments from Jarrard come as Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately urged the government to take seriously reports of unidentified objects flying over military installations. "There are things flying over our military installations, and they're not ours, and we should look into this," Rubio said in an interview. He was referring to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs), not specifically drone swarms.
The Bottom Line
Jarrard's assessment offers a candid measure of the gap between Pentagon counter-drone ambitions and current base protection capabilities. The technology exists to address the threat, but fielding it across domestic installations will require both funding and time.
The commander noted that detection remains the primary challenge—knowing where an incoming swarm is coming from before attempting to neutralize it. Achieving interoperability with civilian air-defense systems adds another layer of complexity to the mission.
Congress will likely face pressure to accelerate authorization for counter-drone programs as the threat landscape becomes more clear. Lawmakers in both parties have signaled openness to increased homeland defense spending following Jarrard's remarks and prior testimony from Guillot.