The U.S. Air Force Wants a New Shield Against Drones and Missiles

What Is Happening?

The U.S. Air Force is looking for a new type of protective weapon system. Think of it like a superhero shield for their buildings and planes. They want to stop bad guys from attacking with:

• Cruise missiles (flying bombs that travel far)
• Drones (small or big flying robots)

They put out a call to companies asking for help. This call is called a Request for Information (RFI) — basically, "Hey companies, can you build this for us?"

The Deadline

• The Air Force sent this request to businesses.
• Companies must reply by August 6.

Important: The goal is to "identify industry partners capable of providing a Ground-Based Launcher solution to protect United States Air Force assets."

What Kind of Threats Must It Stop?

The Air Force wants one system that can fight many sizes of drones:

• Group 1 drones: Tiny ones, weighing less than 21 pounds (like a small backpack).
• Group 5 drones: Huge ones, weighing more than 1,320 pounds (as big as a Global Hawk spy drone).

This means a single system should stop everything from a tiny kamikaze drone to a giant flying robot.

Why Now?

Bad things are already happening around the world:

• U.S. and allied bases in the Middle East have been hit hard by Iranian drones and missiles.
• Iranian weapons:
  • Destroyed a valuable U.S. E-3 Sentry AWACS plane.
  • Damaged at least five KC-135 refueling tankers in Saudi Arabia.
  • Devastated multiple air defense radars.
• In the Russia-Ukraine war, both sides fire waves of drones and missiles that overwhelm shields and use up all the ammo.

What the Air Force Wants From the System

Contractors (the companies) must explain:

1. How fast the system can fire (firing rate).
2. How much total ammunition it holds (magazine depth).
3. How it connects to command and control (C2) — meaning it shares sensor data quickly and tells weapons where to shoot.

The RFI also suggests the system should:

• Be self-contained (work on its own).
• Be easy to move around.
• Use a laser illuminator for aiming.
• Have built-in sensing (it can see threats itself).

It lists 11 critical baseline attributes, including:

• Cost
• Transportability
• Manpower needs
• Built-in testing for maintenance and safety

As homework, companies should read a 2012 military book called JP 3-01, "Countering Air and Missile Threats."

A Bit of Background

Even before the Iran War, people argued about base defense:

• Last year, an Air Staff strategist said the Air Force should stop relying on the Army for airfield defense.
• He warned that small overseas bases lack strong systems like Patriot missiles.
• He said Air Force security forces are not well-equipped for air defense.

Summary

The U.S. Air Force is asking companies to build a ground-based launcher that protects its bases from cruise missiles and all sizes of drones. The system must hold lots of ammo, be movable, and link to command networks. Recent attacks in the Middle East and Ukraine show why this is urgent. Companies have until August 6 to answer.

FAQ

Q: What is a Request for Information (RFI)?
A: It is a message from the government to companies asking, "What can you build for us?" It is the first step before buying something.

Q: What is a Ground-Based Launcher?
A: It is a weapon sitting on the ground that shoots objects (like missiles) into the air to destroy threats.

Q: Why does the Air Force want one system for many drone sizes?
A: So they do not need different machines for tiny and huge drones — one toolbox handles all.

Q: What does "magazine depth" mean?
A: It means how many shots (missiles) the system can hold before needing a reload.

Article based on reporting by Michael Peck for Defense News.