Air Force Looks to Catch Drones with Giant Nets at F-35 Base

The U.S. Air Force is exploring a decidedly low-tech solution to a modern threat: giant nets. The 325th Contracting Squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida has issued a market research notice seeking contractors who can design and install counter-drone netting over six massive sunshade shelters that house F-35A stealth fighters. These open-ended structures, each the length of two football fields, are vulnerable to intrusions by small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

While seemingly rudimentary, the plan highlights a real vulnerability. Tyndall is a major F-35 training hub on the Gulf Coast, hosting large-scale international exercises. Parking multi-million dollar fifth-generation fighters under open shelters presents a soft target for drone surveillance or even kinetic attacks. This procurement effort signals a growing, albeit belated, push within the U.S. military to physically harden bases against aerial threats that traditional air defenses might miss. The takeaway: sometimes the best defense against a high-tech threat is a very big, very strong net.