Secret Service Trains on Counter-Drone Gear at MacDill
A Pentagon counter-drone task force trained with Secret Service agents and airmen at MacDill Air Force Base on the Bumblebee V2 and Paladin systems.
Featured photo: a U.S. Army M-LIDS counter-drone vehicle during training at Fort Hood, Texas, in January 2026 (file photo; not a system named in this story). Photo: U.S. Army / Capt. Russell Shirley-Jones, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
TAMPA, Fla. — Joint Interagency Task Force 401 conducted counter-drone training with U.S. Secret Service agents and the 6th Security Forces Squadron at MacDill Air Force Base in October 2026, the Department of War said on Nov. 5.
The training gave participants hands-on experience with emerging counter-drone technology, including the Bumblebee V2 interceptor and the Paladin counter-drone system, the department said. The goal was to strengthen defense of critical installations and infrastructure against drone threats, according to the release.
The systems
The Bumblebee V2 uses super intelligence-enabled target recognition to help operators intercept hostile drones by direct collision, the department said. The Paladin system uses a net-based interceptor as a low-collateral option, according to the release.
The release did not say how many personnel took part, how many intercepts were attempted or how the systems performed.
What participants said
“Getting new technology into the hands of operators is only part of the solution,” said Army Maj. Jeremy Kelly, JIATF 401 assistant capability manager. Kelly said training with the personnel responsible for installation defense helps refine the capabilities, according to the release.
Army Brig. Gen. Matthew Ross, the JIATF 401 director, said defending the homeland requires a range of layered counter-drone capabilities. “As the threat evolves, we must continue to expand our options for defeating drones while minimizing risk to people and infrastructure,” Ross said in the release.
Earlier training
The event builds on earlier JIATF 401 training with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 75th Ranger Regiment, the department said. The department also listed related counter-drone training by the Washington National Guard on Oct. 30.
What it means
Analysis: Including the Secret Service extends military counter-drone tools toward federal law enforcement, which protects sites where military authorities to engage drones are limited. The emphasis on nets and collision interceptors reflects concern about debris and collateral damage over populated areas. The release offers no performance data, so the systems’ effectiveness cannot be judged from it.
Sources
Related coverage
- Bomb Hoaxes Hit European Flights a Third Day: What Officials Say
- Researchers Find Rentable Proxy Exits on White House Network
- US Intelligence Products, From the PDB to the NIC
.jpg){kind=link}