On Friday, in addition to several aircraft basing announcements (see above), USAF issued a candidate list to host MQ-1 and MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft ground control stations: Ellsworth AFB, S.D.; Langley AFB, Va.; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; and Whiteman AFB, Mo. Communities now have the opportunity to participate in the environmental impact analysis process, moving toward a final basing announcement in June. There was no indication whether the sites would be operated wholly or in part by active duty or reserve components. (Ground control station release)
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…