Pentagon broadens counter-drone authorities in bid to shore up vulnerable U.S. bases

Summary

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The Daily Scoop Podcast

Episode: Pentagon broadens counter-drone authorities in bid to shore up vulnerable U.S. bases
Date: January 28, 2026
Host: Billy Mitchell

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Episode Overview

This episode covers two major headlines relevant to U.S. government operations:

• The Pentagon's expansion of counter-drone authorities to better protect vulnerable U.S. military bases in response to increasing drone incursions and gaps in policy.
• Challenges facing the IRS as it confronts staffing shortages, a mounting backlog, and delays in IT modernization at the onset of the 2026 tax filing season.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Pentagon Broadens Counter-Drone Authorities

[00:30 - 03:50]

• Background:
  Drone incursions over U.S. military bases have escalated in recent years, creating security concerns. A recent Pentagon watchdog (Inspector General) report highlights confusion and inconsistent policies, leaving bases vulnerable.

• Policy Changes:

  • The Pentagon consolidated and clarified its guidance for protecting military installations, giving commanders increased authority and flexibility to defend airspace over their bases.
  • Signed on December 8 by Defense Secretary Pete Hexseth, the updated policies:
    • Expand commanders' defensive jurisdiction around facilities.
    • Categorize any unauthorized drone surveillance as a threat.
    • Enable sensor data sharing with other federal agencies.
    • Allow top leaders to designate "covered" facilities, granting special drone defense status.

• Challenges:
  Countering drones is complicated by:

  • The prevalence of drones among hobbyists and adversaries.
  • The need to avoid civilian harm or infrastructure damage.

• Inspector General's Findings:

  • The IG reviewed 10 installations, interviewed officials from many agencies, and found policy gaps.
  • Some critical facilities like Luke Air Force Base (major F-35 training site) were not given "covered" status, preventing them from using counter-UAS (CUAS) technologies.
  • Lapses bring to mind incidents such as “Operation Spiderweb” (Ukrainian drone attack on Russian aircraft, 2025), underlining the dangers of inadequate protection.

• Memorable Quote:

  • “The DoD’s confused policies meant some facilities in the U.S. couldn't adequately protect themselves.” — Billy Mitchell ([01:10])

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2. IRS Facing Inventory Backlog and Modernization Delays

[03:51 - 06:10]

• Situation Overview:
  As tax season begins, the IRS is under pressure due to:

  • Workforce cuts that have reversed prior hiring gains from post-pandemic legislation.
  • Persistent processing backlogs and delayed IT modernization.

• IG Concerns:

  • In a memo to IRS leadership, Deputy Inspector General Diana M. Tangesthal flagged the return to October 2021 staffing levels, undermining recent modernization and enforcement efforts.
  • Pandemic-era tax return backlogs persist, with current inventory at 129% of pre-pandemic levels.

• Consequences:

  • Untouched inventory will spill into the 2026 season, risking longer processing times and delays in taxpayer refunds.
  • The IRS paid over $2.6 billion in interest to individuals in 2025 due to these delays.

• Workforce Data:

  • The IRS lost about 19% of its staff (19,000 employees) since October 2025, including 8,300 in key filing tasks and IT.
  • IT workforce shrank by 16%, directly impacting system updates and processing enhancements.

• Memorable Quotes:

  • "This could result in delays in taxpayers receiving funds and could result in the IRS paying interest." — Billy Mitchell paraphrasing Deputy IG Tangesthal ([05:00])
  • “New efforts to modernize tax administration are delayed and their expected efficiencies may not occur during the upcoming filing season.” — Billy Mitchell summarizing IG report ([05:35])

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On DoD Policy Confusion:
  “The DoD’s confused policies meant some facilities in the U.S. couldn't adequately protect themselves.”
  — Billy Mitchell ([01:10])

• On IRS Processing Crisis:
  "Inventory that is not worked during the current processing year will be carried into the 2026 filing season and may affect the IRS’s ability to timely process tax returns."
  — Deputy IG Diana M. Tangesthal, as relayed by Billy Mitchell ([04:50])

• On Financial Impact:
  “During processing year 2025, the IRS paid more than $2.6 billion in interest to individuals as of November 30, 2025.”
  — Billy Mitchell ([05:20])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:30] Pentagon responds to drone threats with new policies
• [01:10] Inspector General's findings on inconsistent protections
• [02:45] Base-level impacts and Operation Spiderweb comparison
• [03:51] Treasury watchdog's warning to the IRS
• [04:50] Details on the IRS backlog and staffing crisis
• [05:20] Financial repercussions: billions in interest paid to taxpayers

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Summary & Takeaways

• Security at U.S. military bases is being strengthened through clarified, expanded counter-drone rules, finally giving commanders the tools they need to respond quickly to drone threats. However, implementation gaps remain, with critical installations still exposed.
• The IRS faces a “precarious position” as reductions in workforce and modernization funding have reversed recent progress, risking more backlogs, late refunds, and costly interest payments.

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For more breaking news and analysis on technology and government, visit fedscoop.com.

Transcript

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Today on the Daily Scoop Podcast from the Scoop News Group. The Pentagon has broadened counter drone authorities in a bid to shore up vulnerable US Bases and the IRS is facing an inventory backlog and IT project delays heading into this filing season. It's Wednesday, January 28, 2026. Welcome to the Daily Scoop Podcast where you'll hear the latest news and trends facing government leaders. I'm the host of the Daily Scoop Podcast, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for joining me. Now let's jump into the day's top headlines. The Pentagon said it has consolidated policies around protecting American military facilities from drone threats after unclear guidance left base commanders scrambling on how to respond and years of increased unmanned aerial system sightings over key Defense Department assets. Drone incursions over American military bases jumped considerably over the last several years, alarming officials and a Pentagon watchdog report released last Week said the DoD's confused policies meant some facilities in the US couldn't adequately protect themselves. Following the release of the Defense Department Inspector General report last Tuesday, which noted dire gaps in military counter UAS policy that limited base responses to drone threats, the Pentagon said it had already adjusted its guidelines last month in an effort to give commanders expanded authority and flexibility needed to dominate the airspace above their installations. Countering drones in the US Is complex and has been a years long thorny problem for the military, especially as the tech becomes ubiquitous. For both hobbyists and adversaries, stateside drone defense means navigating a delicate balance between protecting military installations while avoiding civilian harm or infrastructure damage. But the issue is only growing, top military officials have said, and the new guidance is the latest attempt by the Pentagon to manage it. The policies, which the release said were signed on December 8 by Defense Secretary Pete Hexseth expanded base commander's defensive area around facilities explicitly identified any unauthorized drone surveillance over installations as a threat, allowed UAS sensor data sharing between other federal agencies and authorized top service leaders to designate facilities as covered, a special classification that allows for drone defense. The new inspector general report urged immediate action from Pentagon leaders after it visited 10 military installations and operation where UAS incursions have occurred, interviewed officials from dozens of government agencies and reviewed military counter drone policies. It found that guardrails around protecting covered assets, which include nuclear deterrence sites, special operations activities and high yield explosives facilities, were unclear and inconsistent, limiting the ability for military bases to defend against drones. The IG report listed several examples of facilities or activities that were not consistently addressed by Pentagon policy. Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, where 75% of the world's F35 Lightning II pilots Train was not designated as a covered asset, meaning installation officials couldn't use CUAS capabilities to protect their training against drone threats. While the IG did not explicitly name the operation, the vulnerability of the airbase brought parallels to Operation Spiderweb, a covert Ukrainian mission last year that used more than 100 drones launched from civilian cargo trucks to wipe out military aircraft deep inside Russia. Now moving on to other news. With tax filing season officially gearing up, the Treasury Department's watchdog is warning the IRS that its workforce reductions and delays to modernization projects have left the tax agency in a precarious position. In a memo sent Monday to the irs, Commissioner, Diana M. Tangesthal, Deputy Inspector General for Audit, wrote that the agency's cuts have brought staffing back to October 2021 levels, which was prior to the Inflation Reduction act funding infusion aimed at strengthening enforcement on wealthy individuals and corporations and modernizing antiquated IT systems. The loss of personnel has led to a backsliding on previous agency priorities, the Treasury Inspector General for tax Administration official noted, pointing specifically to a pandemic created backlog of tax returns awaiting processing. The tax agency had made serious strides in addressing that backlog, Tigda found in September 2023. But the Trump administration stagger half cuts combined with the recent government shutdown have led to inventory levels that are 129% higher than pre pandemic figures. Inventory that is not worked during the current processing year will be carried into the 2026 filing season and may affect the IRS's ability to timely process tax returns during the filing season, especially with reduced staff, tangesthal wrote. This could result in delays in taxpayers receiving funds and could result in the IRS paying interest, she continued. During processing year 2025, the IRS paid more than $2.6 billion in interest to individuals as of November 30, 2025. The interest paid includes interest due to tax return processing delays and other individual interest payments. According to TIGTA, the IRS has lost roughly 19% of its staff, which is roughly 19,000 employees as of October 2025, including 8,300 workers tasked with key filing season functions such as processing returns provid and updating computer systems in it. Specifically, the IRS went from 7,091 staffers in October 2021 to 8,504 as of October 2024 and now back down to 7,135 today. Tangis Dahl wrote in her report that new efforts to modernize tax administration are delayed and their expected efficiencies may not occur during the upcoming filing season, adding later in her memo that 16% of the IRS's IT workforce has been wiped out. Those staffers would have worked on system updates to account for inflation and expiring or new tax provisions. For more news at the intersection of the federal government and technology, make sure to visit fedscoop.com.

[B]

Thanks so much for tuning in to another episode of the Daily Scoop Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

[A]

If you've already rated the podcast on.

[B]

Your platform of choice, thanks so much. High ratings and good reviews of the show help more people to find it. The Daily Scoop Podcast is a production of the Scoop News Group in Washington, D.C. adam Butler and Carlin Fisher help put the show together, and the entire Scoop News Group team contributes. We'll be back tomorrow with more top headlines. Until then, I'm your host. As always, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for listening.