The US military’s DVIDS press service reports Joint Interagency Task Force 401 has concluded its operational experimentation exercise, Falcon Peak 26.2, at the US Army’s Yuma Proving Ground, advancing the evaluation of emerging counter-unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) alongside operational warfighters and interagency partners.
“Conducted in direct support of US Northern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Border, the exercise provided operational assessments of counter-UAS capabilities against evolving unmanned threats,” writes Lt. Col. Adam Scher, Headquarters Department of the US Army. “The event also established enduring counter-UAS testing and evaluation lanes at Yuma Proving Ground to support continued collaboration between the Department of War, operational units and industry.”
“Countering the threat of drones is both a warfighting and a homeland defence imperative,” said US Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401. “Unmanned threats will continue to evolve, which increases the risk at home. We conducted Falcon Peak to support Northern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Border, working directly with users in the field to ensure we understand their needs and deliver the best capability on the market.”
Throughout Falcon Peak 26.2, participating systems were evaluated against standardised Department of War test criteria. Performance data was consolidated into JIATF-401’s centralised data repository to support rapid assessments and inform acquisition decisions. The dedicated counter-UAS testing and evaluation lanes established during Falcon Peak 26.2 will remain operational at Yuma Proving Ground, according to the DVIDS release. This testing capability will enable commercial developers and defense partners to continually evaluate and improve their systems.
“One of the primary benefits of Yuma Proving Ground is its range instrumentation,” said Ross. “Industry partners need to know the exact details of how their product performs. By establishing enduring counter-UAS test lanes here, industry does not have to wait for the next iteration of Falcon Peak to improve their systems. Companies can come directly to the range, receive immediate feedback, iterate on their systems, and rapidly deliver improved tools to our service members.”
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(Image: Director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 Brigadier General Matthew Ross tours Yuma Test Center at Yuma Proving Ground in Yuma, Ariz., Sept. 22, 2026, ahead of the Falcon Peak demonstration – photo DVIDS)
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