U.S. and South Korean military units conducted Exercise Dragon Flight at Osan Air Base from August 2 to 6, 2026, marking the first time a Group 3 unmanned aircraft system was flown in the facility’s airspace for defense training. The inaugural event brought together personnel from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and the Republic of Korea Air Force to rehearse detection, tracking, reporting, and simulated engagement against larger, more capable classes of uncrewed aerial systems.
As reported by DVIDS, contractors from Griffon Aerospace operated an Outlaw drone as a simulated threat platform. Participating units deployed various counter-UAS technologies, including the Expeditionary Mobile Air Defense Integrated System operated by the 51st Security Forces Squadron, AN/TWQ-1 Avenger systems from the 35th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, and Stinger MANPADS paired with Smart Shooter SMASH optics used by the 2nd Low Altitude Air Defense Battalion. South Korean air defense personnel also integrated their organic equipment into the drills.
Military officials emphasized that Group 3 drones represent an increasingly accessible and dangerous threat to airbases and critical infrastructure. Exercise Dragon Flight aimed to establish information-sharing protocols among different branches to build a layered defense capability, ensuring the protection of base assets and personnel necessary to sustain combat sortie generation during contingency operations.
