U.S. AFRICOM Tests CURTAIN CALL Drone Swarms to Defeat Coordinated UAV Attacks.

U.S. AFRICOM (Africa Command) has completed a second successful field evaluation of its CURTAIN CALL counter-drone system, demonstrating the ability to detect, track, and defeat both individual and coordinated drone threats using defensive drone swarms. The test, conducted at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California from April 27 to May 1, 2026, highlights a growing U.S. effort to field an affordable short-range air defense capability against the rapidly expanding threat posed by unmanned aerial systems.

The evaluation showed how autonomous interceptor drones can counter multiple airborne threats at a lower cost than traditional air defense weapons. As drone warfare continues to reshape modern battlefields, systems such as CURTAIN CALL could strengthen force protection, improve base defense, and provide a scalable response to mass drone attacks.

Related Topic: U.S. Army Targets $2.9B Counter-Drone Systems Acquisition Following Battlefield Drone Surge

Multiple drones fly in coordinated formation during a swarm operation. AFRICOM's CURTAIN CALL program is exploring the use of defensive drone swarms as a low-cost solution to counter growing unmanned aerial system threats. (Picture source: AFRICOM)

The CURTAIN CALL concept addresses one of the most urgent challenges facing modern military forces: defending fixed installations and deployed troops against low-cost drones that can be fielded individually or in coordinated swarms. Traditional air defense systems, designed primarily to counter aircraft, helicopters, and missiles, often struggle to provide a cost-effective response against small unmanned aerial vehicles. The financial imbalance is particularly significant when expensive interceptor missiles are used to destroy inexpensive commercial or modified military drones.

To overcome this challenge, AFRICOM's innovation team has pursued a different approach based on autonomous defensive drone swarms. Under the CURTAIN CALL architecture, sensors and cameras continuously monitor the airspace and automatically identify potential threats. Once a hostile drone is detected, the system immediately alerts a human operator who retains engagement authority. Following approval, a swarm of defensive drones is launched to create an aerial interception barrier that neutralizes or disrupts incoming threats before they reach protected assets.

The latest test represented a significant expansion of the program’s objectives compared to the February demonstration. Engineers evaluated the system’s performance against both a single unmanned aerial vehicle and coordinated multi-drone attacks, a scenario increasingly observed in conflicts ranging from Ukraine to the Middle East. The ability to manage multiple simultaneous targets is considered essential, as future adversaries are expected to employ saturation tactics to overwhelm conventional air defense systems.

According to Lt. Col. Jared Bindl, AFRICOM’s Chief Innovation Officer, the event moved the project beyond basic technical validation and into a more realistic operational environment. The successful tracking of coordinated threats and near real-time cueing of the defensive drone swarm demonstrated that key components of the concept can function together as an integrated defensive architecture.

One of the most important achievements reported during the trial was the validation of direct communication links between command elements and the drone swarm. Reliable communications are critical for any autonomous or semi-autonomous counter-UAS capability, as defensive drones must receive targeting information and respond rapidly to changing threat conditions. AFRICOM stated that operators were able to launch the swarm immediately after engagement authorization, reducing the response timeline against fast-moving aerial targets.

Another major milestone was the successful integration of the Tactical Awareness Kit (TAK), a widely used situational awareness software suite employed across the U.S. military and partner forces. Through TAK, operators received a visual representation of the threat environment while enabling information sharing across different command levels. This integration is particularly important because future counter-drone operations will require coordination between local force protection units, higher headquarters, and potentially allied forces operating in the same battlespace.

The testing campaign also generated valuable engineering data regarding swarm responsiveness and system limitations. Rather than focusing exclusively on successful interceptions, AFRICOM used the event to identify technical gaps that could affect future operational deployment. These findings will support modeling and simulation efforts aimed at refining swarm behavior, sensor performance, command-and-control processes, and engagement timelines.

The strategic importance of CURTAIN CALL extends beyond AFRICOM's immediate operational requirements. Across multiple theaters, U.S. forces increasingly face threats from low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles employed by state and non-state actors. Terrorist organizations, proxy militias, and near-peer adversaries have demonstrated the ability to conduct reconnaissance, precision strikes, and saturation attacks using relatively inexpensive drones. The emergence of coordinated drone swarms further complicates the defensive challenge by increasing target density and reducing defenders' reaction time.

Current counter-UAS solutions often rely on a combination of electronic warfare systems, kinetic interceptors, directed-energy weapons, and traditional air defense assets. While effective in certain scenarios, these systems can face limitations in cost, scalability, or effectiveness against large numbers of small targets. The CURTAIN CALL concept seeks to introduce a new defensive layer that mirrors the threat itself by using drones to defeat drones, potentially offering a more economically sustainable approach to force protection.

The program also reflects a broader Pentagon trend toward leveraging autonomous systems and artificial intelligence to support battlefield decision-making. Although human operators remain responsible for engagement authorization, increasing automation in threat detection, tracking, and swarm coordination can significantly reduce reaction times during high-tempo attacks. Such capabilities may become increasingly important as drone technology continues to proliferate and adversaries adopt more sophisticated swarm tactics.

Data collected during the Livermore evaluation will now be used to refine AFRICOM’s concept of operations and determine the next stages of development. While the system remains experimental, the results indicate that drone-based air defense could evolve into a practical and affordable complement to existing short-range air defense networks. If future testing confirms the system’s effectiveness in more realistic operational environments, CURTAIN CALL could provide U.S. forces with a scalable solution to one of the fastest-growing threats on the modern battlefield while helping close a critical gap in layered air and missile defense architectures.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.