FORT SILL – Training soldiers how to defeat threats from unmanned aerial vehicles – drones – is being developed under the oversight of the Fires Center of Excellence at Fort Sill, in conjunction with the Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) Academy at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.
The Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO) was stood up last year, and the FCoE at Fort Sill assumed responsibility for the C-sUAC Academy in March 2020.
The C-sUAS Academy was previously led by the Integrated Fires and Rapid Capability Office, “and they are planning, coordinating and executing its transition to Fort Sill in Fiscal Year 2024,” Don Herrick, director of public affairs for the FCoE, informed the Ledger on July 9. The academy, to be established under the Air Defense Artillery School at Fort Sill, reportedly will attain full operational capability in FY 2025.
The C-sUAS Academy “will identify resourcing and implementation requirements to assist with joint C-sUAS training and doctrine,” Her-rick said. “These coordination efforts are necessary to develop and deliver a comprehensive, integrated capability for commanders to detect, identify, and defeat unmanned aircraft system threats.”
According to a Defense News story published last October, the JCO “has already selected interim systems to fill the gap while it develops capabilities for future threats” from drones. The office will develop a “common core C-UAS program of instruction,” publish joint tactics, techniques and procedures, and update existing doctrine to refine and improve educational baselines across the force,” said Lt. Col. David Morgan of the JCO.
“The program will also create basic identification and employment principals for all counter-drone systems at every level of the joint training enterprise,” Defense News reported. “Troops will receive more training opportunities to gain an advanced understanding of the joint command-and-control architectures in the employment guidelines as well as the tactics, techniques and procedures.”
The C-sUAS academy to be established at Fort Sill “will use instruction previously developed at Yuma Proving Ground … while establishing a new core, joint C-SUAS pro-gram of instruction,” Defense News reported.
“The academy is intended to provide basic-level instruction to every joint war fighter and begin the process of codifying ‘the doctrinal and training underpinnings’ to improve countering UAS,” Morgan said.