The Defense Department aims to demonstrate air and missile defense interoperability and cooperation across the services and assess existing capabilities in counter-UAS at an ongoing joint technology demonstration in California, DoD News reported Saturday.Lisa Ferdinando writes that the two-week Black Dart 2015 event at Naval Base Ventura County and the Sea Range at Point Mugu brings together representatives from the U.S. military and industry as well as allied nations to test or observe counter-UAS technologies.
“[This is]Â a unique and very valuable window for us to come together for two weeks here and practice in a littoral environment, a land-based environment and a deep-sea environment in many different scenarios,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. David Zook, chief of the Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization’s capabilities assessment division.
DoD officials also noted that small drones present a threat as they are now easily accessible and difficult to detect in radar, the report said.
“If there is anything that the terrorists have shown, it’s that they’ll be innovative and use anything that they can at their disposal to do what they’re trying to do,” added U.S. Air Force Maj. Scott Gregg, project officer of Black Dart.
“What we’re trying to do at Black Dart is make sure that we are staying ahead of the game and that we have a good understanding of their capabilities before those capabilities outpace ours.”
The event runs through Aug. 7.
