The US Air Force’s 319th Reconnaissance Wing opened the Point Defense Battle Lab’s (PDBL) permanent facility on April 9. PDBL is charged with developing tactics, techniques and procedures to defend all stateside Air Force installations against aerial threats while exercising existing counter-small uncrewed aerial system (C-sUAS) technologies.
“The primary goal of the Air Combat Command’s Battle lab is to develop the play book, the systems and the capabilities that will allow us to defend against s-UAS hostility, ” said Brig. Gen. Micah Fesler, Air National Guard advisor to the commander, Air Combat Command.
The Air Combat Command selected Grand Forks Air Force Base to host the PDBL in October of 2025, and selected the 184th Wing, Kansas Air National Guard to support the programme. The selection of the base was in part due to the 319th RW’s existing RQ-4 Global Hawk mission, a remotely piloted platform, and their existing partnerships with UAS industry and education.
Since its activation in October, PDBL has executed five exercises and evaluated several systems. The newly designated PDBL facility offers further permanence to the mission and expands the team’s ability to plan and conduct exercises aimed at evaluating existing C-sUAS technologies.
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Image: Senior Airman Reilly Stredde, 319th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Point Defense Battle Lab sUAS operator, flies a drone during an operational demonstration as part of a PDBL ribbon cutting ceremony at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, April 9, 2026. The operational demonstration offered an example of how the PDBL is exercising commercial counter small unmanned aerial system technology. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Trevor Gordnier)
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