SCHRIEVER SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The 50th Security Forces Squadron’s Electronic Security Systems & Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems program at Schriever SFB provides crucial defense capabilities that protect the installation from small, unmanned aircraft systems, or drones. This capability enables U.S. Space Force Guardians and Airmen who conduct operations out of Schriever to execute their mission without disruption.
Investment in Maintaining Readiness
At Schriever SFB, the ever-present and evolving threat of sUAS is met by Staff Sgt. Colton Heinrich, 50th SFS Electronic Security Systems and Counter-sUAS noncommissioned officer in charge, and his team of highly trained operators, responsible for a diverse range of capabilities that can neutralize drone threats the moment they are detected.
“I operate the C-sUAS program which entails all sensors designed to detect, track, identify and defeat drones,” Heinrich said. “Different drones require different detection and defeat options, and the landscape is constantly changing. Because drones are so easily adaptable and can be modified for an array of functions, we must be prepared for a vast number of scenarios, from the accidental to the intentional.”
For the 50th SFS, readiness extends beyond just being prepared to counter drones flown for malicious purposes.
“Even hobbyist drones being flown with non-malicious intent can pose a security risk,” Heinrich said. “Many are equipped with cameras capable of recording, and accidental landings in restricted, active law enforcement or fire operations areas could cause interference with ongoing missions.”
Maintaining readiness against this complex threat by investing in continuous improvement of equipment, training and tactics is a strategic imperative for Schriever SFB. For SFS Defenders, this includes constantly analyzing how drones are being used and developed globally.
“Recent global conflicts provide us great insight into the advancements of drones,” Heinrich said. “Understanding the capabilities of the traditional, fiber-controlled and homemade drones enables us to establish our own capability benchmarks."
By setting and reaching these benchmarks, the 50th SFS can defend the base, enabling the Space Warfighters to safely conduct their critical missions.
Investment in Partnerships
The 50th SFS’s C-sUAS program does not operate in a vacuum; they partner with several agencies, including local law enforcement, before, during and after a drone threat is reported, integrating collaboration at every step of the process.
For example, long before a drone ever enters Schriever's airspace, Defenders are already working with Readiness & Emergency Management to create emergency plans and procedures for response and recovery. The EM team also coordinates with Delta Inspection Team members to test and evaluate these plans through realistic exercises, ensuring that in a real-world scenario, every team can respond with confidence to protect the mission and all personnel on the installation.
EM also plays an important role in Schriever’s C-sUAS response and recovery.
“Our latest plans call for SFS to contact Emergency Management when there is a drone sighting,” said Darren Pemberton, Readiness and Emergency Management flight chief. “We will then monitor the situation in collaboration with the 50th SFS and Fire & Emergency Services and prepare our command-and-control elements to activate based on multiple sUAS considerations.”
While the 50th SFS takes tactical action to defend and defeat sUAS, EM handles the broader command-and-control, working closely with Public Affairs and Command Post to communicate protective actions in an efficient and effective way.
“Our Defenders are great at protecting and defeating, but they rely on overall base response planning to take care of life safety and mission continuation,” Pemberton said. “This approach has helped us work together well and have plans that complement without contradicting.”
Once a drone has been neutralized by Defenders, the mission transitions to a new phase of risk assessment. The responsibility is then handed off to another crucial partner for the delicate task of safety and handling: Explosive Ordnance Disposal.
“When a drone sighting is called in, our unit prepares to respond,” said Tech Sgt. Christopher Camille, EOD Logistics section chief. “Once Security Forces has downed the drone and set up a perimeter, we then interrogate the platform to dictate if there are any harmful components on board. If there are, then we render them safe and prepare them to be handed over to the proper authorities.”
Through vital partnerships like these, Schriever ensures its readiness against the full spectrum of drone threats. This integrated defense, from initial detection to final recovery, creates a seamless and effective shield to protect personnel, property and the mission itself.
The First Line of Defense
While the 50th SFS and their partners possess the advanced technology and training required to counter drone threats, the most effective defense begins with the entire Schriever community. The responsibility for identifying suspicious activity rests on the shoulders of every Guardian, Airman and civilian on base.
“At the end of the day, awareness is critical,” Heinrich said. “If you see something, say something.”
This simple act of reporting suspicious drone activity provides the 50th SFS and partners with the critical time needed to mount an effective defense. The security of Schriever’s personnel and its vital missions is a shared duty, and the proactive involvement of the entire community is essential to maintaining the highest level of readiness against these emerging threats.
For more information on what to do if a drone is sighted, visit this link.
Space Base Delta 41 provides combat support, combat service support, and weapon system and installation infrastructure to the space operational missions at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, as well as its geographically separated units at Ka’ena Point Space Force Station, Hawaii, and New Boston SFS, New Hampshire. While USSF Guardians out of Schriever perform critical Space missions, the men and women of SBD 41 deliver the backbone services. As the mission behind the mission, SBD 41 ensures that victory in space begins with support on the ground.