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U.S. Central Command announced Aug. 13 that it is working to establish its first multi-domain, multinational attack drone task force with regional partners.
The unit, named Task Force Falcon Strike, will employ one-way attack drones across multiple environments, using unmanned systems operating above, on and below the sea. Military support personnel from the United States and participating regional partners will operate the systems.
The initiative follows the establishment nine months ago of Task Force Scorpion Strike, the U.S. military’s first dedicated one-way attack drone squadron in the Middle East. Scorpion Strike achieved several operational milestones, including launching an aerial attack drone from a U.S. Navy warship for the first time last December.
The squadron also used one-way unmanned aerial systems during Operation Epic Fury and unmanned attack vessels in July strikes on Iranian port facilities.
“Task Force Falcon Strike will expand on Scorpion Strike’s success given the tremendous innovation happening among our regional allies and partners,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “Integrating and deploying our new capabilities together will help us rapidly realize the new possibilities that are on the horizon.”
CENTCOM has begun consulting with and formally inviting regional partners. As countries join, Falcon Strike is expected to expand attack drone capabilities across the Middle East and integrate them into a multinational, multi-domain deterrent.
“The United States military has a lot of strong partnerships and friends in the region,” said Cooper. “We are collectively stronger when we integrate and deploy new capabilities together.”
Personnel from U.S. Special Operations Command Central, which launched Scorpion Strike, will lead Falcon Strike’s staff of U.S. and regional representatives.
Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, SOCCENT plans and conducts special operations across CENTCOM’s 21-country area of responsibility in the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia.
