Air Defenders, Aviators in Europe Combine Forces During Operation Skyfall II

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — On Oct. 6, 2026, U.S. Army soldiers assigned to the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, worked with soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade, at the Grafenwoehr Training Area to showcase connectivity and interoperability capabilities first assessed by both units in the spring.

In March 2026, the first Operation Skyfall demonstrated that the AH-64 Apache helicopter could track and engage counter-unmanned aircraft system targets using data fed by ground-based air defense sensors. Operation Skyfall II built on those capabilities, providing aviation crews with more opportunities to detect, engage and destroy drones.

The first step in countering an airborne threat is knowing its location. The AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar is a mobile, ground-based system that provides continuous, low-altitude target alerting, tracking and queuing data. Additionally, the Sentinel can sense threats farther away and provide earlier warnings, enhancing the survivability of the Apaches while providing them with the necessary data to engage a target.

“We’re sending the data of where the track is in time and space, so the Apache pilot knows exactly where the track is,” said Lt. Col. John Vermeil, commander of the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade. “Not only that, but also the tactical operations center knows where the track is, and they’re able to provide a vector to see if they can engage that track.”

Using the Outlaw, an unmanned aircraft system used as a low-cost training target drone, soldiers participating in Operation Skyfall II demonstrated the entire process. Ground-based air defenders tracked the Outlaw with their sensors and relayed that data to the Apaches via the tactical operations center, allowing the aviators to conduct air-to-air combat operations to destroy the threat.

The Apache crews successfully engaged three Outlaw drones, destroying each one individually.

Official tactics, techniques and procedures for detecting and engaging counter-unmanned aircraft systems are still being refined. However, Operation Skyfall II demonstrated how ground-based air defense units and airborne aviation assets can generate more defensive fires options for senior commanders, sustaining integrated defensive fires in contested conditions across the European and African theaters.

“What’s important about Skyfall is the integration with the air defenders and the protection warfighter function for NATO,” said U.S. Army Maj. Tyler Jamison, operations officer of the 2nd Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade. Jamison added that working with the air defense battalion “has helped us operationalize what it means to destroy a drone.”

On order, the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade executes joint and combined integrated air and missile defense operations as the tactical air and missile defense integrator in support of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade deters adversary aggression and as required, neutralizes air and missile threats to critical assets in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.