U.S. Army to Open Two Domestic Ranges for Drone and Counter-Drone Training

The U.S. Army plans to open at least two domestic training ranges that replicate Ukraine battlefield conditions within the next four to six weeks, CBS News reported. The sites will allow drone manufacturers and counter-drone developers to operate together in electronic warfare and contested environments.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told reporters on Tuesday that soldiers will train alongside developers at the locations. Existing U.S. test sites already allow safe operations, he said. Driscoll declined to name the sites until planning moves further.

Some counter-drone training observed by CBS News in April omitted electronic jamming because domestic restrictions still limit that activity. The Army is separately examining a global range outside the United States for more aggressive testing that includes hypersonics.

Dwayne Hayes of the Army's Strategic Threats Office stated that Russia produces 3,000 to 5,000 one-way attack drones such as Shaheds each month and roughly 600,000 smaller first-person-view drones monthly.

Ukraine produces about 30,000 interceptor drones per month, Hayes said. Hayes noted that the United States excels at advanced munitions such as Patriot or THAAD interceptors, each costing $4 million to $5 million. "They've been described as the 'Ferrari' of products, and it is, but we need some other things to supplement those products," Hayes told participants.

President Trump met with major defense companies earlier this year and is scheduled to meet them again this week to urge faster production. Lockheed Martin, Boeing and L3Harris are among the firms expected to attend. The Army is soliciting proposals from a wider group of companies over the next few months for lower-cost interceptors.