Service May Be Conducting Counter-Drone Exercises Around Missile Silos

While there has been no definitive response from the U.S. Air Force, the recent sightings of drone swarms in the western U.S. may be tied to counter-drone exercises around missile silos.

The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that the Air Force Global Strike Command has confirmed that it routinely conducts counter-drone exercises out of F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, WY. The command oversees Minuteman silos in northeastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming and western Nebraska, where the drone sightings have taken place.

The Air Force has not said it owns the drones that have been spotted, but it also has not denied owning them, according to the report.

The USAF counter-drone program includes regular use of civilian consumer drones that might be used for attacks on military targets. It employs counter-drone technology such as that developed by Dedrone, which tracks such consumer drones through the RF generated by their controllers. The Air Force said that the use of commercial drones provides a "realistic training environment."

Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Public Safety on Monday deployed a PC-12 equipped with high-tech cameras and sensors in an attempt to learn more about the drones. The flight did not detect any suspicious activity during a five-hour flight, according to a report from ABC news. "We are actively monitoring reports of suspicious activity and will take action based on the level of activity and information being gathered by the Colorado Information Analysis Center," said Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management spokeswoman Nicki Trost in an email to ABC News.

The drones were first sighted on December 20th. And while there are still no certain answers, local authorities and the public may be at least a bit closer to learning the truth.

(Image provided by the Colorado Department of Public Safety)

FMI: Source report