US Northern Command (Northcom) and North American Aerospace Defense Command’s (NORAD) most senior leader spoke about the threat from uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) during a posture hearing on February 13 before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill.
Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guillot told the committee that rapid technological advancements have forced Northcom and NORAD to hurriedly adjust their defence posture.
“Small, uncrewed aircraft systems … proliferate the open market; and in the hands of malign actors, pose a growing threat to safety and security,” he said.
As an example of this, Guillot disclosed that there were 350 UAS detections over a total 100 different US military installations reported last year.
He said that roughly just half of US installations fall under US Code Section 130i, meaning they are considered “covered” installations and are allowed to defend themselves from UAS incursions.
There are currently nine criteria that can qualify a base as being eligible for “covered” status, with nuclear facilities, missile defence bases and test facilities being among them, Guillot explained.
“My request and proposal would be, as we look at [Section] 130i again, … to expand coverage to all military installations and not just those that are [currently] covered,” Guillot said, adding that he would like to see the range of self-defence extend beyond installation boundaries so that threats can be dealt with before reaching those boundaries.
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Department of Defense – United States
Image: Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Command, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington, Feb. 13, 2025. (Department of Defense photo)
