Retired General Glen VanHerck, former head of NORAD and NORTHCOM, was not surprised by drone incursions over Langley Air Force Base in 2023. He had warned of such threats years earlier, including to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in 2021. VanHerck expressed frustration over the lack of domain awareness and authority to defend against drone incursions.
The general noted that the US military was not set up to fight in and from its own land, and that this assumption needed to change. He also highlighted the need for an integrated, layered approach to defend against drone threats.
VanHerck's comments come as the US military has made some progress in addressing drone threats, including the use of directed energy lasers against cartel drones and the passage of the Safer Skies law.
