Is America Ready If An Enemy Military Launches Drone Swarms At The Homeland?

August 29, 2026 10:00 AM ET The U.S. military is racing to build defenses against a threat American forces have repeatedly confronted overseas but could face on their own soil: waves of enemy drones targeting military bases and critical infrastructure.The threat could come as part of a larger military strike designed to overwhelm American air defenses with a combination of sophisticated missiles and far cheaper unmanned aircraft. The U.S. intelligence community assesses that China, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan and Russia will continue developing one-way attack drones and that their militaries will likely pair high-end missiles with cheaper expendable weapons to strain U.S. missile defenses, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.“Even now, drones appear periodicall