U.S. Military Deploys Anti-Drone Radars To Counter Cartels' Expanding Arsenal

The U.S. military has deployed advanced ground-based radar systems along the southern border to enhance detection and tracking of drones used by Mexican drug cartels, according to specialized defense-industry news site The War Zone (TWZ).

The report comes a day after the Navy assigned a guided-missile destroyer, the USS Gravely, to U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) operations supporting border security, a rare deployment for a vessel of its type in this region.

The Department of Defense released pictures of the deployment earlier on Tuesday showing members of the Army's 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum in New York State, training with the AN/TPQ-53 and AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radars in Arizona.

These radars, typically used in artillery and air defense roles, are now part of a broader mission to detect uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), which cartels increasingly use for surveillance, smuggling, and attacks. "HHB Divarty 10th Mountain Division raise their drone detection capabilities at the southern border," a Department of Defense photo caption reads, underscoring cooperation between U.S. Northern Command and the Department of Homeland Security.

NORTHCOM confirmed the radars' use to TWZ, though declined to detail other assets involved. "USNORTHCOM is working with CBP to tie in complementary C-UAS capabilities," a NORTHCOM spokesperson said.

The move comes amid growing concerns about the scope of drone incursions into U.S. airspace. Gen. Gregory Guillot, head of NORTHCOM and NORAD, testified that "there were 350 [drone] detections reported last year on military installations... over 100 different installations." He noted that cartel drones cross the border regularly, possibly numbering "in the thousands," and warned of surveillance risks to sensitive military sites.

As for the deployment of the USS Gravely, it also aims to address what USNORTHCOM described as "critical capabilities gaps in support" of the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection. The ship has typically been involved in overseas combat, including intercepting missiles in the Red Sea but now joins a domestic mission for the first time.

"USS Gravely's deployment will contribute to the U.S. Northern Command southern border mission as part of the DOD's coordinated effort," Guillot said in a statement. He also added that destroyer is intended to address "critical capabilities gaps in support" and that "Gravely's sea-going capacity improves our ability to protect the United States' territorial integrity, sovereignty, and security."