Get the latest news and updates from Dawn
WASHINGTON: The United States Air Force is creating a new military speciality dedicated to defending its air bases against missile and drone attacks, after recent conflicts exposed vulnerabilities at American military installations in the Middle East and elsewhere.
The move follows an internal review of the Iran war by senior Air Force commanders, who concluded that the growing threat posed by inexpensive but highly effective drones and precision-guided missiles requires personnel specially trained to protect military bases.
According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, the Air Force also plans to establish dedicated air base defence units at selected installations. These units will bring together personnel from different military occupations and train them to detect, track and defeat incoming drones and missiles.
US officials were alarmed by Ukraine’s 2025 ‘Operation Spiderweb’, in which remotely piloted drones struck Russian strategic bombers parked at air bases deep inside Russia. The operation prompted the Pentagon to reassess the protection of American military installations.
