Drones and robotics pose threat to U.S. nuclear security, general says

The surge in the use of unmanned technology, including drones, is impacting the U.S. nuclear stockpile and related infrastructure, according to the commander of Strategic Command.

Military forces and extremist groups around the world are deploying drones and other robotic technologies to gather intelligence, assist, and even attack targets from relative safety. Learning how to intercept and neutralize them has quickly become a priority for Pentagon officials monitoring skirmishes in Ukraine and across the Greater Middle East.

The proliferation of advanced unmanned systems “poses challenges for the Department of Defense and our nation’s nuclear energy enterprise,” Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton said in the 2024 Strategic Posture Statement submitted to Congress on February 29. The problem is becoming more complex. “Technological competition with adversaries, namely Russia and China, is accelerating,” he said.

Headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, Cotton Command oversees the United States’ nuclear arsenal and supports electromagnetic operations and missile threat assessment.

Cotton said in a statement that STRATCOM conducted experiments in 2022 and 2023 to better understand the effectiveness of anti-drone weapons and inform future investments. He did not disclose the results.

So-called “no-drone zones” were established several years ago at military bases and nuclear weapons facilities, including areas where parts are manufactured and maintained. Under the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration is authorized to protect facilities from drones deemed to pose a safety or security risk.

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These zones cover sensitive compounds such as Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. It is expected that the core of a nuclear weapon, known as the Pit, will be manufactured here. A uranium processing facility is being constructed at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee. The Nevada National Security Site hosts subcritical experiments and nonproliferation research.

NNSA leadership visited the Nevada site in December to demonstrate counter-unmanned aircraft system technology.

“These capabilities are applicable to all NNSA sites,” Frank Rose, an administration aide, said in a statement at the time. “We are developing the tools needed not only to counter today’s unmanned aerial vehicles, but to defend against evolving threats.”

Among the equipment on display was the Anvil manufactured by Anduril Industries. Anvil drones hurtle towards targets on their collision path with the aim of knocking threats out of the sky. An explosive variant called Anvil-M offers similar countermeasures, but instead relies on a fire control module and ammunition payload.

Rose was also photographed in front of a screen displaying Anduril’s command-and-control Lattice software.