Counter‑UAS: train first
- Small Wars Journal published “Stop Chasing the Shiny Object” on April 24, arguing counter-unmanned aircraft programs should build training first, before buying more sensors, jammers, or interceptors. - The article says crews need repeated scenario drills on workload, early warning cues, reporting, and failed support assumptions, not just system descriptions or equipment familiarization briefs. - The piece lands amid wider U.S. debate over cheap-drone threats and “no silver bullet” defenses, with broader calls to expand counter-drone training across the force. (smallwarsjournal.com 1) (smallwarsjournal.com 2)
Countering drones starts with training, not with buying the next sensor or jammer, Small Wars Journal argued in an April 24 article. (smallwarsjournal.com) The piece says organizations facing unmanned aircraft threats often “chase the shiny object” of new hardware while neglecting education, drills, and repeated practical exposure. (smallwarsjournal.com) A counter-unmanned aircraft system is the mix of people, sensors, radios, weapons, and procedures used to spot a drone, decide if it is hostile, and stop it. The article says that chain fails if crews only know what a system is, not how it changes their work. (smallwarsjournal.com) Its training focus is concrete: operators should learn which indications matter first, what reports to pass, how crew workload shifts, and which support assumptions can break during a real event. (smallwarsjournal.com) For naval aviation, the article says readiness comes from repetition, scenario practice, and briefs built around likely drone problems rather than around equipment inventories. (smallwarsjournal.com) That argument fits a broader defense debate in 2026 as cheap drones keep imposing outsized costs on more advanced forces. A March Small Wars Journal roundup said drones costing under $50,000 have hit air-defense systems worth millions. (smallwarsjournal.com) A January post in the same publication, summarizing a Center for a New American Security report, said the Pentagon faces “no silver bullet solution” and needs to expand counter-drone training across the Joint Force. (smallwarsjournal.com) That report also said prototype testing can create false confidence when systems are evaluated against unrealistic drone targets or low-fidelity electromagnetic tests. (smallwarsjournal.com) The April 24 article pushes the same point from the operator’s side: a unit that has rehearsed decisions, reports, and failure points is more prepared than a unit that has only added another box to the kit. (smallwarsjournal.com)
