CAMP MURRAY, Wash. – As criminals turn to drones to move drugs and support illegal activity, the Washington National Guard’s Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center will launch a new Counter Unmanned Aircraft System fundamentals training course in December to help law enforcement get ahead of the threat.

“This course will help bridge the gap between the lessons learned on the battlefield and what our law enforcement and security agencies in the U.S. will soon encounter,” said Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, Washington’s adjutant general and homeland security advisor for the state.  

The course “Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Narcotics Officer Operations” aims to equip narcotics officers with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively address the escalating threat posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or UAS, in drug trafficking and related criminal activities.

The eight-hour course, created from a mix of military doctrine and information from agencies already using counter-UAS operations, including the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, provides participants with a thorough understanding of the various ways UAS are being utilized, including their specific capabilities and inherent limitations.

“We go into the history of UAS use, the technologies, types, laws and regulations, possible applications and understanding of counter measures,” said Sgt. Maj. Ian Birk, instructor at the Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center. “We go through a lot of material, but ultimately the goal is for law enforcement personnel to leave with some counter-UAS tools they can start implementing immediately to help keep their communities safe.”

Law enforcement officers who participate in the course will develop the critical skill of recognizing indicators of UAS activity within their operational environment, comprehend the complex legal and regulatory framework governing UAS operations and implement counter-UAS measures. The course emphasizes the importance of identifying and potentially exploiting vulnerabilities in UAS operations for interdiction purposes. Ultimately, officers will understand how to seamlessly integrate counter-UAS strategies into their existing narcotics enforcement efforts, enhancing their overall operational effectiveness.

The fundamentals course is just the first of multiple counter-UAS courses that the Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center will offer to law enforcement. The schoolhouse has also been developing a three-day counter-UAS applied course, which will have less classroom instruction and more hands-on activities.

“The blueprint is taken from Ukraine and how they are using counter-UAS measures from a defensive perspective,” said. Maj. Andriy Karpenko, instructor with the Western Regional Counterdrug Training Center. “We are still working through the course and where it will be hosted at.”

The two courses will include some of the same instruction, but were developed to support officers’ time, recognizing that many departments cannot spare an officer for three full days.

“I think these courses set the stage to discuss counter-UAS and help law enforcement with a potential threat,” Birk said. “It is important to note, the majority of UAS operators are just hobbyists and doing nothing malicious, but we need to be prepared for anything.”