Navy Surface Warfare Official: US Needs Cost-Effective Counter-Drone Systems

The United States needs to invest in cost-effective solutions to address threats posed by drones, according to Adm. Fred Pyle, director of surface warfare at the U.S. Navy. Speaking during a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Tuesday, Pyle, a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, said that the service branch already has cost-effective solutions to address lower-end threats. 

The Navy official’s statement comes as the military branch has reportedly used some $1 billion worth of munitions to counter drones in the Red Sea, Breaking Defense reported.

The Navy started developing technologies to address threats coming from unmanned aircraft platforms in 2021, when it awarded CACI International a task order to collaborate with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, to research, develop and analyze mission technologies that would address the issue.

During the same event, Pyle also discussed efforts to expand the number of weapon systems available for forces deployed in the Red Sea, including an effort to re-certify “older stocks” to regenerate capacity.