ACC’s Point Defense Task Force reshapes installation defense against aerial threats

Air Combat Command is accelerating a new point-defense mission to protect Air Force installations from a growing range of airborne threats, pairing rapid experimentation with an emerging training pipeline to push validated tactics and technology to the field.

“Two years ago, we started as a tiny, agile battle lab with only six people. The threat landscape evolved, so we evolved too,” said Lt. Col. Cody Moore, ACC Directorate of Operations A35 division chief. “Together we adapted and established the very foundation of how the Air Force will protect our installations from airborne threats for years to come. Because of our hard work, the heavy lifting of the initial charter, the foundational concept development is complete, and the playbook has been written.”

ACC’s Point Defense Task Force is conducting the analysis and hands-on testing intended to inform Headquarters Air Force decisions on how to counter everything from small drones to cruise missiles. “The [Point Defense] Task Force is responsible for the analysis behind how we organize, train, and equip our forces for this mission and we have been working hard to provide recommendations and answers to senior leaders as soon as possible,” said Moore.

To move ideas into practice, ACC established dedicated battle labs that place testing and evaluation with operational Airmen. The Point Defense Battle Lab at the 319th Reconnaissance Wing, Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, runs operational rehearsals and rapid assessments of capabilities including electronic warfare and both active and passive defenses. With support from the 184th Wing, Kansas Air National Guard, the lab serves as a collaboration hub and the primary engine for ACC’s tactical experimentation and rapid prototyping for counter-sUAS.

“We drive the priorities for the battle lab and tell them what our top concern is, and they go and develop tactics, techniques and procedures for it,” said Moore. “They are very adaptable when looking at the next big threat and working with industry on what is already out there so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”

As those experiments mature, ACC is fielding a Mobile Training Team to meet near-term readiness needs while a formal training pipeline is built. The teams are deploying to ACC bases to deliver an intensive two-week course that trains local Airmen on newly validated systems and tactics. “This organization has developed a curriculum and have already sent out their first team of NCO instructors to teach Airmen. They started here at Langley and are now on the road to coach other installations.” said Col. James Price, special assistant to the Director of Operations for Headquarters ACC.

Point defense operations demand tightly coordinated specialty skills, from base defense and command-and-control to airspace management and radar maintenance. “You need all of those pieces of the puzzle to provide effective defense and to deconflict the airspace around our bases,” said Moore. “It’s not just the Air Force; it’s a whole-of-government problem. We are working with local air traffic control, local law enforcement, and joint partners to build those relationships.”

With the Point Defense Task Force in place and a battle lab feeding rapid prototypes and tactics to the field, ACC is pushing joint integration and innovation aimed at staying ahead of evolving airborne threats to Air Force installations.