The Arkansas Air National Guard’s 123rd Intelligence Squadron has become one of a handful of ANG units that provide real-time intelligence data from their home base to warfighters in Southwest Asia. Unit airmen have been in the intel business for years—from five to 15—but just started processing “live” data last month from their own facility. In the past, the 123rd airmen would travel to an active duty base to ply their trade. Arkansas ANG commander Brig. Gen. Riley Porter calls the new capability “an awesome responsibility.”
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…