Pentagon Faces Critical ABM Capacity Gap Amid Rising Drone Threats

The US airborne battle management (ABM) fleet is facing a critical capacity gap, with a limited number of updated aircraft available to support defense priorities. The Air Force has only 16 E-3 Sentries, with limited availability, and the Pentagon’s current solution relies on unproven alternatives. The lack of ABM aircraft may hinder the effectiveness of air operations, particularly in priority theaters. This issue was highlighted in a recent report by Breaking Defense.