A large number of “unauthorized drones” were seen flying over a major U.S. Air Force base in Louisiana, home to long-range B-52 bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, triggering a lockdown earlier this month.
The alarm was raised at Barksdale Air Force Base on March 9 following reports of “an unmanned aerial system” operating over the base and comes as there is more concern about threats amid the war in Iran.
Barksdale is the second largest airfield in the U.S. Air Force and has a fleet of more than 40 B-52 bombers. It has a population of approximately 15,000, including active duty members, reservists, military families and civilian employees.
According to a confidential briefing document, obtained by ABC News, multiple waves of 12 to 15 drones were detected in “sensitive areas.”
“Between March 9-15, 2026, BAFB Security Forces observed multiple waves of 12-15 drones operating over sensitive areas of the installation, including the flight line, with aircraft displaying non-commercial signal characteristics, long-range control links and resistance to jamming,” the document said, according to ABC News.
“After reaching multiple points across the installation, the drones dispersed across sensitive locations on the base,” the document said.
The confidential document said that drone incursions at the base “pose a significant threat to public safety and national security since they require the flight line to be shut down while also putting manned aircrafts already inflight in the area at risk.”
A shelter-in-place order was issued on March 9 and lifted later that day, but the drone flights went on for nearly a week, according to the outlet. It was unclear whether there had been any activity since.
The drone flights reportedly lasted around four hours each day within the restricted airspace.
Capt. Hunter Rininger of the 2nd Bomb Wing confirmed the incident in a statement and said the Air Force was monitoring the airspace.
“Barksdale Air Force Base detected multiple unauthorized drones operating in our airspace during the week of March 9th,” Rininger said. “Flying a drone over a military installation is not only a safety issue, it is a criminal offense under federal law.”
“We are working closely with federal and local law enforcement agencies to investigate these incursions,” the statement added.
Experts speculated that the scare was more than “just your average drone enthusiast.”
The drones appeared to be custom built and required “advanced knowledge” of signal operations, according to ABC News.
“It looked like this was deliberate and intentional to see just how they would react,” said Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense.
The incident follows another recent sighting of “unidentified” drones seen hovering over the Washington D.C. military base where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth live.
The military is closely monitoring potential threats to senior government figures amid the Trump administration’s war on Iran, but according to a Washington Post report, the origin of the drones that have breached the airspace above Fort Lesley J. McNair remains a mystery.
The newspaper spoke to three people briefed on the matter, who, on condition of anonymity, said multiple sightings occurred on a single night within the past 10 days, prompting an immediate security review and a White House meeting on how to respond.
