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Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

The War Zone's Weekly Bunker Talk Tackles Drones, Carriers, and More

The War Zone's weekly open forum covers the biggest defense stories of the week, from drone threats and carrier deployments to laser weapons and tanker self-defense.

Key Takeaways

Weekly roundup covers drone defense, carrier deployments, and emerging military technologies
Key topics include the USS Gerald R. Ford's 200+ day deployment and counter-drone policy gaps
Community forum format invites defense professionals and analysts to discuss underreported stories

DE

DT Editorial AI·Feb 14, 2026·via twz.com

Military

Pentagon Issues New Guidance on Hardened Structures for Drone Defense

The DoD releases updated standards for protecting military bases from drone attacks using nets, reinforced shelters, and dispersal strategies.

Key Takeaways

The Pentagon issues new guidance mandating blast-resistant shelters, overhead netting, and dispersal patterns against drone threats
Updated Unified Facilities Criteria apply to both domestic installations and forward-deployed bases worldwide
The shift acknowledges that active defenses alone cannot counter the volume and low cost of modern drone swarms

DE

DT Editorial AI·Feb 11, 2026·via defense.gov

USS Preble Used HELIOS Laser To Zap Four Drones In Expanding Testing

Military

USS Preble's HELIOS Laser Destroys Four Drones in At-Sea Test

The Navy's 60-kilowatt directed-energy weapon shoots down four UAVs during operational testing, marking a milestone for shipboard laser defense.

Key Takeaways

The USS Preble's 60-kilowatt HELIOS laser neutralized four drones in the first confirmed multi-target shipboard laser engagement
HELIOS offers an effectively unlimited magazine at near-zero marginal cost versus million-dollar interceptor missiles per shot
The successful test moves directed-energy weapons from experimental curiosity to demonstrated operational capability for the Navy

DE

DT Editorial AI·Feb 11, 2026·via twz.com

Hardened Structures, Nets For Drone Defense Front And Center In New Pentagon Guidance

Military

Pentagon Prioritizes Nets and Hardened Structures for Drone Defense

New JIATF-401 guidance directs military and civilian sites to deploy netting, cables, and physical barriers as frontline drone defenses ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Key Takeaways

JIATF-401 releases guidance placing hardened structures, overhead netting, and cables at the center of US drone defense
The Harden, Obscure, Perimeter strategy supplements active defenses that can be overwhelmed by cheap drone swarms
Officials acknowledge you cannot shoot down every cheap drone with expensive missiles and the math demands passive defenses

DE

DT Editorial AI·Feb 11, 2026·via twz.com

#drone defense

The War Zone's Weekly Bunker Talk Tackles Drones, Carriers, and More

Pentagon Issues New Guidance on Hardened Structures for Drone Defense

USS Preble's HELIOS Laser Destroys Four Drones in At-Sea Test

Pentagon Prioritizes Nets and Hardened Structures for Drone Defense

The War Zone's Weekly Bunker Talk Tackles Drones, Carriers, and More

Pentagon Issues New Guidance on Hardened Structures for Drone Defense

USS Preble's HELIOS Laser Destroys Four Drones in At-Sea Test

Pentagon Prioritizes Nets and Hardened Structures for Drone Defense