US military launches first-ever multinational attack drone task force
New Falcon Strike unit to unite US and regional partners in drone warfare
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on August 13 announced that it is setting up the first multinational attack drone task force spanning multiple domains.
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Named Task Force Falcon Strike, the new unit will deploy one-way attack drones, unmanned systems operating in the air, on the water and beneath the sea, run by military personnel drawn from the United States and its partners in the region.
The announcement comes nine months after CENTCOM stood up Task Force Scorpion Strike, the American military's first squadron in the Middle East dedicated solely to one-way attack drones.
Scorpion Strike quickly notched a series of operational firsts, among them the launch of an aerial attack drone from a US Navy warship last December, a first of its kind. The squadron also flew one-way unmanned aerial systems during Operation Epic Fury, and in July used unmanned attack vessels at sea in 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 consultations and is formally extending invitations to countries in the region. As partners come on board, Falcon Strike is expected to grow attack drone capabilities across the Middle East into a single multinational, multi-domain deterrent force.
"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."
Staff from US Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), the command behind Scorpion Strike, will head Falcon Strike's team of American and regional representatives.
Based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, SOCCENT plans and carries out special operations across CENTCOM's area of responsibility, which covers 21 countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia.
