The initiative follows CENTCOM’s establishment nine months ago of Task Force Scorpion Strike, the U.S. military’s first dedicated one-way attack drone squadron in the Middle East. Falcon Strike is intended to expand that model by bringing regional militaries into a common operational structure.
“Task Force Falcon Strike will expand on Scorpion Strike’s success given the tremendous innovation happening among our regional allies and partners,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command. “Integrating and deploying our new capabilities together will help us rapidly realize the new possibilities that are on the horizon.”
Scorpion Strike has already employed one-way attack systems in several operations, according to CENTCOM. The unit conducted the first launch of an aerial attack drone from a U.S. Navy warship last December and later used one-way unmanned aerial systems during Operation Epic Fury.
The squadron also employed unmanned attack vessels during strikes on Iranian port facilities in July. Those operations extended CENTCOM’s use of one-way attack systems from the air into the maritime domain.
CENTCOM has begun consulting regional partners and issuing formal invitations to participate in Falcon Strike. The command said the task force will scale its attack drone capabilities as partners join, with the goal of creating a unified multinational deterrent spanning multiple operational domains.
“The United States military has a lot of strong partnerships and friends in the region,” Cooper said. “We are collectively stronger when we integrate and deploy new capabilities together.”
U.S. Special Operations Command Central, or SOCCENT, will lead Falcon Strike’s staff, which will include U.S. and regional military representatives. SOCCENT also launched Task Force Scorpion Strike, providing the organizational foundation for the new multinational initiative.
Falcon Strike will combine unmanned systems operating above, on and below the sea rather than focusing solely on aerial one-way attack drones. CENTCOM’s approach is intended to bring those capabilities together with systems developed or operated by regional allies and partners.
SOCCENT is headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, and plans and conducts special operations across CENTCOM’s 21-country area of responsibility. Its geographic remit covers the Middle East, Central Asia and South Asia.
