WarrenUAS Takes Another Big Step Forward with Planned Counter UAS Program

WarrenUAS is building an exciting new program of study in the critical counter UAS (C-UAS) sector, adding to its extensive, fast-growing drone training program and meeting a clear need in the security field, where students can find quickly evolving, engaging, lucrative careers.

WarrenUAS, the drone training program at Warren County Community College in Washington N.J., has grown to be one of the best institutions in the country for education in the field. This fall it will enroll more than 70 students, who will get extensive hands-on training on some 80 UAS systems at extensive new facilities. They’ll and have access to leaders in the field, offering classroom instruction, guidance during flight and research opportunities in the latest areas of drone use.

“The need for well-trained professionals in this field of C-UAS has become clear. We’ve seen use of drones grow dramatically in military action and international security and in perceived threats here, real or not,” said Will Austin, president of Warren County Community College and the founder of WarrenUAS. “We wanted to meet that need and offer students a pathway to employment in these exciting roles.”

The college is carefully developing a thorough curriculum in the sector and has added professional staff, including Brandon Youngblood, chief executive of Drone Defense Professionals, who has had 22 years of UAS experience with the last seven being solely focused on domestic C-UAS national policy, technology and operations. Youngblood is a former FAA manager responsible for the oversite of UAS Security, interagency C-UAS operations coordination and security airspace management. 

Youngblood will serve as a consultant to Warren, drawing on his experience working with the National Security Council (NSC) and multiple federal agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and Energy, as well as the Federal Communications Commission and National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

“I’m excited to join the team at WarrenUAS and have this opportunity to help build this program and share some of my experience with students who want to get involved in this burgeoning field of C-UAS. There are continually new information and technology and huge opportunities for well-trained pilots, technicians and security and public safety professionals.

Youngblood says the training at WarrenUAS will include, but not be limited to, a baseline understanding of federal and state legal requirements and developing legal frameworks, a C-UAS technology overview and updates on the potential collateral impacts on civilian infrastructure and the developing landscape of illicit UAS use.

“Drone threats impact just about every type of industry. From critical infrastructure to data centers, prison systems, corporate and national security espionage, the potential targets of illicit drone operators are virtually limitless,” he said.

In addition to formal course offerings, Youngblood will also help WCCC develop public safety and private security workshops, focusing on drone incursion response and organizational drone security policy development. Youngblood will also be aiding WCCC cultivate federal security partnerships with the goal of intern and job placement for C-UAS focused students.

He noted that the sector is quickly getting attention from those in law enforcement, the military and commercial industry who want to protect their assets.

“The illicit use of drones has expanded significantly over the last five years,” Youngblood said, noting that at a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, the Department of Homeland Security, Deputy Director for C-UAS, Steve Willoughby stated that “nearly every day transnational criminal organizations use drones to convey illicit narcotics and contraband across U.S. borders and to conduct hostile surveillance of law enforcement”.

In addition to drug smuggling along the U.S./Mexico border, drones are being used to smuggle contraband into prisons systems across the globe. For example, in the 12 months prior to March 2025, the number of drone incidents in prisons increased to 1,712 from 1,196 over the previous year, an increase of 43 percent.

It is part of several growing offerings from Warren in the fields where unmanned system use is booming—areas like agriculture and utilities, transportation, environmental research and in the entertainment, hospitality or real estate industry and other commercial enterprises.

“WarrenUAS is constantly evolving its offerings to stay current with the newest emerging technologies and skill sets in our industry,” says Peter Miller, chief pilot at the program “As more technologies become mainstream, Warren continues offering more specifically focused classes in various advanced sensor technologies such as thermography, LiDAR, and multispectral imaging.”

He noted that most recently WarrenUAS acquired a Sec. 44807 exemption allowing Warren to operate, and, more importantly, train students on over 55lb. aircraft in the NAS. 

“This type of higher-level pilot training opens more employment opportunities for graduates giving them more choices and more value in the job market. Not only will Warren offer classes in over 55-pound flight operations but is, this fall, offering a class in the application process for obtaining waivers to operate at this advanced level of unmanned aviation,” Miller said.

Austin noted that the college will continue to build the program to meet the needs of students with an increasing interest in unmanned systems – and the public and private sectors, whose demand for professionals is growing as fast as any employment segment. The C-UAS training is part of that mission.

“As drone-related security continues to be a growing concern, WarrenUAS is developing curriculum in the counter UAS space utilizing expertise from around the country,” Austin said. “Warren is adding faculty in this discipline and looking forward to adding classes in counter UAS technology.”

C-UAS technology, while behind in being able to reliably defeat drone threats, has significantly gained in sophistication over the last two years to address this new threat, Youngblood noted. Layered defense strategies are being heavily researched, developed and tested by federal security agencies. 

“While this development has been ongoing, there is concern on the potential collateral effects to civilian infrastructure,” he said. The development of drone security professionals who understand how to strike the balance of ensuring security while simultaneously maintaining civil safety is an increasingly sought after skillset. 

WarrenUAS has grown rapidly in the past seven years, this fall expecting to enroll around 70 students who will have an opportunity to work with $5-million worth of drone and robotic equipment, including the latest technology such as advanced multispectral sensing, aerial robotic spraying and treatment, and data processing through artificial intelligence.

Austin points out that Warren graduates are often getting jobs well before graduation, in a wide range of fields, some with starting compensation of over $100,000.

And it’s collaborating with other colleges, along with building connections to a variety of other organizations in the field and in the community. It is collaborating in a number of ways with the leading aeronautical university in the country, Embry-Riddle, based in Daytona Beach, FL. 

Warren has invested significantly to create an uncrewed aircraft system comprehensive $500,000 state-of-the-art outdoor Smith Flight Training Center, procured a fleet of over 75 UAS comprising over 30 unique systems for student usage, as well as ground and maritime robotic vehicles. The Joseph Warren robotics center opened in summer 2022 with over 5,000 square feet dedicated to CTE and STEM educational opportunities.

Custom training for working professionals is an important part of what Warren County Community College offers as an educational institution, Miller said.

 “As a community college it is a vital part of their mission to strengthen their county community. Warren will be adding counter UAS to its current offerings to law enforcement and other essential personnel in and out of Warren County, NJ,” he noted.

Additionally, Warren Community College has just been awarded a $15,000 grant from FirstEnergy Foundation that will help defray the cost of conducting such custom training in order to make such important high-level skills more accessible to smaller municipal police departments and first responders who otherwise might not have the budgets for such training.

WarrenUAS has enjoyed a well-developed relationship with the Federal Aviation Administration, with the FAA hosting their regional conference at the college in Spring 2023. Additionally, it is one of the only entities in existence that is authorized by the FAA to train UxS operators with their night waiver, operations over people waiver, and beyond visual line of sight operations waivers.

Heading to Commercial UAV Expo 2025? Be sure to visit the WarrenUAS team in the Exhibition Hall at Booth #249!