Pentagon Issues Public Primer on Countering Small Unmanned Aircraft

The Defense Department’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 unveiled a short guide titled “Small Drones, Big Problems: A First Principles Approach to Countering-UAS,” intended for the general public. According to task-force deputy chief Joe Amoroso, the manual compiles essential lessons from warfighters into easy-to-apply concepts. It advises civilians to use nets, barriers, camouflage and decoys to confuse or divert drones, and to exploit electromagnetic interference such as RF jamming and GPS spoofing to achieve “soft kills.”

While it mentions kinetic options like nets and bullets, the guide warns that these “hard kills” risk unintended damage. The publication stays vague on specific military tactics, focusing instead on reactive measures to neutralize a drone after it appears. Analysts compare the approach to historic reactive strategies, suggesting that proactive air-dominance solutions remain undeveloped. The handbook serves as a primer rather than a tactical blueprint for counter-drone defense.