Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, commander of US Central Command, said Tuesday the Defense Department needs to enhance the integration of intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance capabilities between air and ground components in Southwest Asia. As an example, “We support a limited objective experiment to refine the requirement for a manned, armed ISR asset attuned to the unique challenges of counterinsurgency in Afghanistan,” Mattis told the Senate Armed Services Committee during a hearing on CENTCOM’s posture for Fiscal 2012. Mattis also said the Pentagon should continue investing in ISR technology, infrastructure, architecture, tools, and personnel to build on the gains already achieved in theater. (Mattis’ prepared statement)
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…