The US Air Force is preparing to establish a dedicated military specialty focused on protecting air bases from drone attacks. The decision follows a series of unsuccessful attempts to strengthen defenses against unmanned aircraft. Instead of treating air defense as an additional responsibility, the service intends to assign personnel whose primary mission will be to counter aerial threats.

American forces have already experimented with several approaches to the problem. These include AI-powered drone detection systems, electronic warfare equipment designed to disrupt unmanned aircraft, and weapons capable of shooting them down. None of these measures delivered sufficient results, forcing the Air Force to reconsider how it organizes the protection of its facilities.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach announced that the new military specialty is expected to be established within two years, according to Voyennoye Obozreniye. The initiative is intended to make the defense of military installations against aerial attacks one of the service’s core responsibilities. Personnel assigned to the new specialty will concentrate specifically on this mission rather than handling it alongside other duties.

The proposed approach centers on point air defense, which focuses on protecting individual facilities, including air bases. Unlike broader air defense operations, it is not intended to cover entire regions or large areas of airspace.

However, several important details remain unresolved. Air Force officials have yet to determine whether the new specialty will be available to enlisted personnel, officers, or both. It is also unclear whether existing service members will be allowed to retrain for these positions. The military has not yet decided which weapons and equipment the future specialists will operate.