The U.S. Army’s top civilian leader recently delivered a blunt critique of a counter-drone system soldiers have used for years, including during training and recent patrols along the U.S.-Mexico border.
During a town hall at Fort Drum, New York, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll sharply criticized the Dronebuster, a handheld counter-UAS jammer, calling it “fucking terrible” based on his experience. “It’s a joke,” Driscoll told soldiers, likening it to outdated systems previously deployed to Iraq and questioning its usefulness. “If you agree that it’s terrible, you gotta say it.”
The remarks come as the Army seeks to rapidly expand its counter-UAS capabilities, an area that has historically received less attention than drone development itself. While the Pentagon has invested in counter-drone systems for nearly a decade, a September 2025 Center for a New American Security study found those efforts lacked sufficient scale and urgency, particularly amid China’s expanding drone industry.
Driscoll pointed to the war in Ukraine as a turning point, accelerating drone and counter-drone innovation. He blamed slow progress on entrenched Pentagon decision-making, saying the Army is now “actively catching up” and committed to faster innovation.
Last year, the Army was tasked with standing up Joint Interagency Task Force 401 to help field counter-small UAS capabilities across the force. The service continues to seek solutions suitable for infantry squads.
Dronebuster manufacturer DZYNE Technologies responded by stating Driscoll’s comments likely referred to early-generation systems developed in 2016. The company emphasized that newer versions, including the Dronebuster Block 4, have undergone significant modernization to address today’s threats. Army units in Italy trained with the Block 4 as recently as last month, and soldiers patrolled with Dronebusters along the Texas border last summer.
Whether Driscoll was criticizing older models or handheld counter-UAS systems broadly remains unclear. The Army declined to comment on whether it plans to continue fielding or procuring the system.
Driscoll stressed that troops deserve reliable equipment, criticizing what he called “performance theater” in Army procurement. “It is you who has to fight with it,” he said, adding that meaningful improvements in counter-drone capabilities are now a top priority.
Photo: U.S. Soldiers, assigned to 1st Platoon, 808th Engineer Company, 109th Engineer Battalion, under Joint Task Force-Southern Border, conduct a foot patrol with a Dronebuster Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft System along the Rio Grande River near Eagle Pass, Texas, June 14, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Pvt. Adrianna Douglas)
Source: Defense Scoop