An Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) pilot prepares to launch

An Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) pilot prepares to launch a UAS in preparation for the counter–UAS Hard Kill Challenge at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, February 27-March 31, 2017. The focus of the challenge was technologies that can defeat, or hard kill, unmanned aerial systems, and is sponsored by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization (JIDO). While the United States Army is the lead on counter-UAS efforts, the C-UAS effort hearkens back to JIDO’s mission -- which is to help units adapt and counter improvised threats (DOD photo by U.S. Air Force 1st Lt Chelsi Spence, Defense Threat Reduction Agency Public Affairs/Released).