New curriculum will practice college students and professionals to determine and reply to drone threats
Warren County Group School (WCCC) in New Jersey is increasing its drone schooling program with a brand new curriculum targeted on counter-drone safety. This system will practice college students and dealing professionals to determine, assess, and reply to potential threats posed by unmanned plane methods.
The brand new programs will likely be a part of the school’s WarrenUAS program and are anticipated to start subsequent fall on the faculty’s Washington, New Jersey campus. The initiative displays rising demand for professionals who perceive each drone operations and the safety challenges created by the know-how.
“Drones are an increasing, extremely precious instrument for almost each sector of our economic system, however it’s clear that within the mistaken fingers they’ll current a menace to public security or the safety of our infrastructure,” stated Warren County Group School President Will Austin. “Our mission at WarrenUAS is to fulfill the necessity for professionals who can develop, keep and pilot drones safely and successfully, however we additionally wish to tackle the uncommon however critical threats they’ll pose.”
Austin stated the school started discussing the necessity for drone safety experience two years in the past as using drones expanded throughout many industries.
Skilled Leaders to Develop the Curriculum
The school has enlisted two skilled professionals to develop and lead this system. Brandon Youngblood and L. Scott Parker carry intensive backgrounds in drone operations, coverage, and safety.
Youngblood at the moment serves as vp for presidency applications at Spatial Persistent Software program Air Area Consciousness. He has greater than twenty years of expertise with unmanned plane methods. Over the previous seven years, he has targeted on nationwide counter-UAS coverage, know-how, and operations.
Youngblood beforehand labored on the Federal Aviation Administration. There he managed UAS safety oversight, interagency coordination, and safety airspace administration. As head of the FAA UAS Safety and C-UAS Integration Workplace, he helped develop nationwide safety coverage and labored with leaders from a number of cabinet-level businesses. He additionally served because the senior FAA consultant to the coverage committee that produced the federal Counter-UAS Nationwide Motion Plan.
Parker, founding father of Aerisq Options, served 27 years within the U.S. Military. He later labored on the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA), the place he served as chief of UAS safety. In that position, he established the company’s first devoted drone safety program and helped form the federal method to managing drone-related dangers.
Parker additionally launched CISA’s “Be Air Conscious” public consciousness marketing campaign and helped coordinate flight restrictions over delicate websites in New Jersey and New York in late 2024. Earlier in his profession at CISA, he led nationwide efforts to strengthen protections for cyber-physical methods and demanding infrastructure.
Coaching College students to Perceive Drone Threats
The counter-drone program will likely be open to college students who full WarrenUAS foundational drone coaching. The brand new curriculum will give attention to figuring out threats, understanding rules, and responding to potential incidents.
“College students coming into this program will achieve the most recent data and coaching about drones that our WarrenUAS program gives after which discover this essential area of drone safety and achieve the credential to take positions within the authorities and personal sector the place these consultants are so critically wanted,” Austin stated.
Austin added that the experience of Youngblood and Parker will assist guarantee this system displays present trade and coverage developments.
“We’re very lucky to have Brandon and Scott constructing this program to supply one of the best and most present pondering and technical experience within the rising, essential C-UAS area.”
Youngblood emphasised that drone safety has develop into a rising concern throughout a number of sectors.
“A thousand-dollar drone may doubtlessly take out a $200 million f22 fighter jet or poison a water provide or cripple an airport, costing tens of millions,” Youngblood stated. “Discovering methods to supply safety is now getting lots of consideration and WarrenUAS will likely be forward of the curve in broadening our understanding of tips on how to deal with these threats and in coaching professionals to supply that experience.
Understanding Home Drone Dangers
This system may also tackle tips on how to consider dangers with out limiting official drone operations.
“Lots of people see threats in areas of battle all over the world and make that the angle they take away That definitely is actual drawback however there are distinct variations between that and the number of home threats on the market,” Parker stated. “This program will give college students an understanding of each and enhance trade data in that realm,” Parker stated.
“Past that, drones are more and more getting used for a variety of productive, helpful functions, however they could be flying alongside methods used for extra nefarious functions. We want a greater understanding of the excellence and educated professionals with a transparent conception of each.”
College students in this system will take three programs targeted on counter-UAS matters. These programs will cowl malicious and illicit drone exercise, authorized frameworks governing drone use, and the applied sciences used to detect and reply to threats.
Parker stated the programs will look at “what it means to detect, observe, monitor, seize or destroy threatening drones”, together with the applied sciences utilized in fashionable counter-UAS methods.
He additionally famous that drone threats current challenges that conventional safety frameworks weren’t designed to handle.
“Bodily safety and aviation coverage don’t adequately cowl these threats, and on this program, we’re addressing that hole. I can let you know from my expertise, I’m not conscious of anybody else doing this.”
Skilled Coaching and Business Partnerships
Past the tutorial programs, WCCC plans to supply skilled growth workshops. These applications will goal first responders, legislation enforcement, and infrastructure safety personnel.
Youngblood stated this system will draw on trade connections to supply visitor audio system and hands-on studying alternatives.
“Drone threats influence nearly each sort of trade infrastructure, together with knowledge facilities, jail methods and company to nationwide safety belongings. The potential targets of illicit drone operators are just about limitless,” Youngblood stated. “We’re hoping to develop a curriculum to coach college students as professionals to handle these issues but additionally public security and personal safety workshops, specializing in drone incursion response and organizational drone safety coverage growth.
Youngblood additionally pointed to growing issues about felony use of drones.
At a Senate Judiciary Committee listening to final yr, Division of Homeland Safety Govt Director for C-UAS Steve Willoughby said that “almost day by day transnational felony organizations use drones to convey illicit narcotics and contraband throughout U.S. borders and to conduct hostile surveillance of legislation enforcement”.
Drones have additionally been used to ship contraband into jail methods worldwide. Within the 12 months previous to March 2025, officers reported 1,712 drone incidents at correctional amenities.
Increasing WarrenUAS Applications
The brand new counter-drone coaching will be part of a number of increasing applications at Warren County Group School. These embody functions of unmanned methods in agriculture, utilities, transportation, environmental analysis, and industrial industries.
The WarrenUAS program has grown quickly over the previous seven years. The school expects to enroll greater than 100 college students subsequent fall. College students practice with tools valued at about $5 million, together with multispectral sensors, aerial spraying methods, and AI-based knowledge processing instruments.
The school additionally operates the Smith Flight Coaching Middle, a $500,000 out of doors coaching facility. This system maintains a fleet of greater than 75 unmanned plane throughout greater than 30 completely different platforms.
Chief pilot Peter Miller stated workforce coaching stays a key a part of the school’s mission.
“As a group faculty it’s a important a part of our mission to strengthen our county and group. Warren will likely be including counter UAS to its present choices for legislation enforcement and different important personnel out and in of Warren County,” he famous.
The school just lately acquired a $15,000 grant from the FirstEnergy Basis. The funding will assist coaching for smaller police departments and first responders that won’t have the assets for superior drone safety schooling.
Austin stated the school will proceed increasing its applications to fulfill rising workforce demand.
“As drone-related safety continues to be a rising concern, WarrenUAS is growing curriculum within the counter UAS house using experience from across the nation,” Austin stated.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, knowledgeable drone companies market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone trade and the regulatory surroundings for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles targeted on the industrial drone house and is a global speaker and acknowledged determine within the trade. Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising and marketing for brand spanking new applied sciences.
For drone trade consulting or writing, E-mail Miriam.
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