Sen. Marshall announced in Fall 2025 that Air Combat Command had selected the 184th Wing at McConnell Air Force Base as an operating location for the new Point Defense Battle Lab and counter-drone task force. The Smoky Hill Air National Guard Range near Salina will serve as a counter-UAS test site. The selection reinforces McConnell's role inside the Air Force's evolving force-protection architecture and brings additional Defense Department investment into the south-central Kansas defense corridor.
Defense · Fall 2025