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Yuma Military Testing & Border Security

Military testing and border-security technology in Yuma County, with documented results, spending and local impacts distinguished from demonstrations and official claims.

ActiveUpdated October 13, 2026

Sources 16

Primary source · Government recordArmy opens premier test ranges to private industry for rapid innovation
Army names West Cibola Range among commercial-access ranges, describes large land/airspace and says vendors do not need a prior federal contract to request access. Capacity limits apply; quarterly event discussed in the release concerns Camp Grayling, not a confirmed Yuma schedule.
Primary source · Public statementAV Delivers First Two Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser Systems to U.S. Army
AeroVironment reports government acceptance testing of AMP-HEL prototypes at Yuma Proving Ground before delivery and soldier training. Historical vendor account, separate from Falcon Peak 26.2.
Secondary source / research lead · News reportBattling sand and wind, Pentagon evaluates counter-drone tech at southern border exercise
Carley Welch reports firsthand exercise observations, DHS and Defense Innovation Unit participation, heat/sand/wind conditions, three GEN-12 test-drone takedowns, and September 24 border statistics. Its 15 engagement figure differs from KYMA's 12; neither engagement count is reproduced as settled fact in this article. Demonstration outcomes are not overall success rates.
Primary source · Public statementCACI Fiscal 2026 Fourth Quarter Results: SkyValor southern-border deployment award
Company financial report specifically describes an award to deploy SkyValor along the southern border after two-day JIATF-401 evaluation at MCAS Yuma. Does not independently establish completed fielding or September Falcon Peak involvement.
Primary source · Public statementCACI Secures $500M C-UAS IDIQ Contract; SkyValor Selected as First Task Order for JIATF-401 Domestic Shield
CACI reports three-year $500 million IDIQ and first SkyValor task order after evaluation at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma. Ceiling is not obligated spending, Falcon Peak cost or local economic impact. MCAS Yuma differs from Yuma Proving Ground.
Primary source · Government recordDepartment of War Announces Industry Participants in Falcon Peak 26.2
Official roster lists 21 companies. Participation establishes evaluation involvement, not a government contract award. Participants: Allen Control Systems, Anduril, BioRes, Cover Tech, CX2, DataShapes AI, Digital Force Technologies, Drone Matrix, EOS Defense, General Radar, Genesis Arms, GT Aeronautics, Harmattan AI, Helix Defense, Lumenier, Perennial Autonomy, Perseus, PowerUS, Protora, Teledyne FLIR, Zenith Aerotech.

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Primary source · Government recordFalcon Peak 26.2: Innovation Continues, destroyed test drone, DVIDS image 9948335
Official Staff Sgt. Colten Tessness caption identifies destroyed DJI Mavic struck by Cover Tech Drone Bullet at Cibola Range Site 17. Documents one engagement, not a denominator or overall intercept rate.
Primary source · Government recordFalcon Peak 26.2: Teledyne FLIR Cerberus XL, DVIDS image 9955569
Photographer John Ingle; September 21, 2026; VIRIN 260921-D-TH920-5461; original listed 8256 x 5504. DVIDS marks public domain subject to copyright-page restrictions, including non-endorsement and retained third-party rights. User authorized public 2000w derivative because original download requires a validated account. Downloaded file is 1999 x 1333, not original. Caption gallery numbering is inconsistent, so identity is based on photo ID and VIRIN.
Primary source · Government recordJIATF-401 and NORAD / NORTHCOM Conclude Falcon Peak 26.2, Establish Enduring Counter-UAS Test Lanes
Official summary by Lt. Col. Adam Scher. Ross identifies range instrumentation and continuing access as advantages. Standardized data goes into a central repository. No complete public comparative results, construction budget or dated next Yuma exercise is supplied.
Primary source · Government recordJoint Interagency Task Force 401 publishes counter-drone handbook
Official explanation of layered defense, shared terminology, training and permissions. No single technology is a universal solution. Linked PDF could not be retrieved; do not claim to have read its detailed contents.
Secondary source / research lead · News reportReuters: US Army tests counter-drone tech at Mexican border as cartel drone use rises
Reuters report by Mike Blake, writing Joe Brock, editing Rosalba O'Brien, verified through the complete syndicated AOL text. Filler attributed 378 incursions to the previous 30 days, border-wide. No county breakdown, unique-aircraft count, individual operators or independently substantiated universal cartel attribution. Publication date is not the endpoint of the September briefing window.
Primary source · Public statementTeledyne FLIR Cerberus XL C-UAS product specifications
Manufacturer describes radar, electro-optical/infrared cameras, RF detection and mitigation, and command-and-control integration. Product claims and configurations do not independently establish September exercise performance.
Primary source · Government recordU.S. Army awards enterprise contract for IT commercial solutions
Official Army announcement of Anduril enterprise contract, five-year base and five-year option, estimated up to $20 billion. Broad framework consolidates procurement actions; not Falcon Peak cost, obligated local spending or guaranteed purchases.
Primary source · Government recordU.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground hosts major counter-UAS test event
Army account confirms permanent lanes, primary interagency range designation, realistic scenarios and Lattice test-and-evaluation baseline. Does not give local cost, hiring numbers or a complete performance scorecard.
Primary source · Government recordUSNORTHCOM Operational Update: Cartel Drone Defeats at the Southern Border
Official JTF-SB account says AMP-HEL first employed August 24 and 11 assessed cartel-linked UAS defeated as of September 4. Attributed operational claims, no Yuma County locations or public evidence identifying each aircraft operator. Search-indexed primary release reviewed; direct HTTP access restricted.
Primary source · Government recordUSNORTHCOM, JIATF-401 Launch Falcon Peak 26.2 Experiment at Yuma Proving Ground
Official announcement specifies August 31 to September 25, fourth Falcon Peak and first at YPG, southern-border conditions and low-collateral defeat goals. Search-indexed primary text reviewed; direct HTTP access was restricted.

Sources 16

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