Operations & Intelligence Failures — 2026-03-25

NORTHCOM Deploys Counter-Drone System After Coordinated Drone Swarms Breach Barksdale Nuclear Bomber Base Airspace

U.S. Northern Command confirmed March 24 that its Anduril-produced Flyaway Kit counter-drone system engaged jamming protocols against multiple drone incursions at a strategic military installation following the launch of Operation Epic Fury. A confidential internal briefing revealed 12-15 custom-built drones in coordinated waves over Barksdale AFB between March 9-15, displaying non-commercial signal characteristics, long-range control links, and resistance to jamming. NORTHCOM stated it has not determined nefarious intent and declined to confirm if investigations are ongoing or whether platforms were recovered. Analysts assessed with high confidence that unauthorized flights would continue. The base houses B-52H bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Analysis
The custom-built drones with resistance to jamming and long-range control links at a nuclear bomber base represent a qualitatively different threat from the consumer-grade UAS incidents that dominated 2024-2025 drone incursion reporting. NORTHCOM refusal to attribute or even confirm an active investigation suggests either a classified counterintelligence dimension or genuine uncertainty about the operator. The timing, days after Epic Fury launched, is operationally significant.

1 sources

Multiple unauthorized drones recently spotted over Barksdale Air Force base - KTBS