Counter-UAS: Adapting to the Drone Threat with LTCOL Paul Middleton, Deputy Director Force Modernisation HQ2 DIV

LTCOL Paul Middleton from Headquarters 2nd Division joins The Cove to discuss the integration of counter-uncrewed aerial systems during Exercise Austral Shield 2026. The exercise saw JTF 629 take newly issued LAND 156 equipment and trained operators into a collective tactical environment, moving beyond classroom training to test the equipment, tactics and soldiers against a realistic UAS threat. The conversation explores what was learned, how quickly soldiers adapted, and why counter-UAS is increasingly about fieldcraft, dispersion, detection and tactical decision-making—not simply defeating drones with technology.