DVIDS:
In October 2018, Gatwick Airport in London reached a milestone with more than four million passengers in a month. Just two months later, though, flights were cancelled for three straight days, stranding thousands of passengers prompting British military involvement.
What caused the disruption? A small unmanned aerial system — or sUAS, or more commonly called a “drone” — flying in restricted airspace without coordination from air traffic control.
“We could potentially have a similar scenario here at JBA,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Bell, commander of the 11th Security Forces Squadron here. “That’s a big deal when you think of the aircraft that transit this base.”
Looking to counter a potential problem, Bell began researching avenues available for security forces to enhance base defense. In September, a small team of JBA defenders traveled to White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, to test a new directed-energy system designed to counter sUAS. That trip resulted in a JBA defender becoming the first Airman to shoot down a drone with a laser.
