MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, KANSAS -- McConnell continues to expand its operational capabilities with the development and integration of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), or drones, an initiative that now supports a variety of mission sets.
McConnell’s drone program was officially established in late summer of 2024. Capt. Justin Lewis, 22nd Air Refueling Wing sUAS Installation Program Manager, and Tech. Sgt. Bradly Hornberger, 22nd Air Refueling Wing sUAS DET-S & ACE Concepts noncommission officer in charge, helped accelerate the integration of drones into squadron operations in less than a year of its launch.
Through participation from the 22nd Maintenance Squadron, 22nd Security Forces Squadron and the 22nd ARW, the program aligns McConnell with the broader Department of the Air Force initiative of employing drones to enhance operational capabilities.
“What we’ve achieved is transforming a program without a clearly defined mission into one that’s fully integrated into squadrons,” said Lewis. “This benefits McConnell’s mission by improving efficiency in areas like aircraft maintenance, security overwatch, and rapid response.”
The drones integrated into McConnell’s squadrons are compact drones that weigh just under five pounds and can fold down for transport. Equipped with obstacle avoidance and high-resolution cameras, the drone can be programmed to fly pre-determined routes, hover in place, and capture images in a single flight. The cameras can capture close-up as well as wide-angle shots, providing a level of detail needed for aircraft inspections and security monitoring.
“The drone is programmed to fly to specific waypoints inside of a hangar and capture hundreds, or thousands, of images of the aircraft,” Lewis said. ”In the future, we aim to leverage AI software to identify scrapes, dents, chipped paint, or other damage, creating a 3D model for enhanced maintenance and trend analysis.”
In addition to their imaging capabilities, the drones use a secure data link to transmit images and video, allowing sensitive information to be protected during aircraft inspections and aerial operations.
“Drones are really changing the way we look at base security,” said Tech. Sgt. Isaiah Bellefeuille, 22nd Security Forces Squadron counter-sUAS manager, “It gives us another layer of defense and helps our Airmen better detect and respond to threats to keep the base and our people safe.”
Security Forces employ drones in both “Blue Air” and “Red Air” roles. Blue Air supports mission sets such as perimeter sweeps and aerial coverage during incidents, while Red Air is used as a training tool to simulate adversaries and develop counter-drone tactics.
Looking ahead, McConnell’s drone program continues to grow beyond maintenance, exercise and security operations. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) is developing its own drone capability and collaborating with the 184th Intelligence Wing to establish a Point Defense Battle Lab, focused on training and developing defensive capabilities. These efforts are focused on expanding how drones are used across the installation while building a trained cadre of Airmen ready to support emerging mission needs.
With a range of mission sets in place, McConnell is positioned as a leader within Air Mobility Command in integrating drones into day-to-day operations. As the program continues to evolve, drones are becoming a routine tool that helps strengthen the installation’s ability to support the Air Force mission.
Drone usage is also expanding with local law enforcement, local companies and private users exploring how drones can add to their capabilities, although this can conflict with existing altitude and access restrictions near private, commercial and military airfields for safety and security reasons, As such, the Federal Aviation Administration has created www.faa.gov/uas as a one-stop shop for all drone operators that want to request authorization to fly in certain areas, register their drones, and more. The FAA also has an FAA flight map for drone operators available online, which showcases altitude restrictions.
As drone operations continue to expand both on and off-base, security forces emphasize the importance of awareness across the installation. Bellefeuille encouraged Airmen to report any unfamiliar activity in the airspace.
“Never assume something in the sky is supposed to be there,” Bellefeuille said. “If you see a drone or anything that doesn’t look right, contact BDOC (Base Defense Operations Center). Better safe than sorry.”
Report any suspicious aerial activity by contacting BDOC at 316-759-3976.