JOHN YANG: So, as we have seen, the war in Ukraine## is providing a real-time testing ground# for nations defending against drones?## But unidentified drones are also a# concern here in the United States.

Liz Landers is here with more on a recent# incident at a military base in Louisiana.

LIZ LANDERS: John, the week of March 9, a# swarm of drones repeatedly hovered around## Barksdale Air Force Base in Northwest# Louisiana.

A spokesperson for the base## tells "PBS News Hour" that it was# unauthorized and criminal activity## that's now being investigated by both# federal and local law enforcement.

ABC News reported that the drone# flights lasted four hours at a time,## deliberately maneuvered within# the airspace over the base,## and appeared to be jam-resistant.

Barksdale# is a key facility for the U.S.

in the ongoing## fight with Iran, housing B-52 bombers# and nuclear weapons storage facilities.

For more on this, return to retired Air# Force Lieutenant General Dave Deptula.## He is now the dean of the Mitchell# Institute for Aerospace Studies.

General, thank you for joining us this evening.

LT.

GEN.

DAVID DEPTULA (RET.

), U.S.

Air# Force: You bet, Liz.

Good to be here.

LIZ LANDERS: We just saw in Simon's story how# advanced Ukraine's counterdrone techno.. and yet the U.S.

is having trouble stopping# all these drones that Iran is launching at## its neighbors.

How is it that Iran is so# advanced here and that the U.S.

is not?

LT.

GEN.

DAVID DEPTULA (RET.

): Well, what I# would tell you is that, with respect to Ukraine,## who are the real experts, with respect# to defense, is they're much better at## defending against drone attacks, because,# for them, this is an existential fight.

Russia is trying to eliminate# Ukraine as a sovereign country,## erase its people, identity and culture.

So when# a nation is facing that kind of threat every day,## it adapts with extraordinary speed# and seriousness.

And that's why I## think that it behooves the United States and our# military to partner with Ukraine and learn from## all their experience in defending against# the drone assaults from the Russians.

Now, with respect to Iran, I think we need# to be careful in defending -- or defining## what the issue is, because we essentially have# reduced Iran's ability to employ their cruise## missiles and drones very, very significantly.# It doesn't mean that it's been eliminated,## but that's part of the objective in# launching the assaults that you have seen## to date so very successfully# applied against the Iranians.

LIZ LANDERS: When you look at# that drone swarm that happened## over Barksdale Air Force Base earlier this month,## what stands out to you and how should the base# commanders handle those kinds of situations?

LT.

GEN.

DAVID DEPTULA (RET.

):# Well, it's a great question.

First, I think it's important to# keep this event in perspective.## There was no mission impact from these# incidents.

Operations continued.

And## there's no indication the activity# disrupted the base's core functions.

Now, all that said, the absence of mission# impact should not be mistaken for the## absence of a problem, because unauthorized drone# activity around sensitive military installations## is still a serious security concern,# for all the reasons one might imagine.

Now, the good news is, the U.S.

military does# have the capacity to deal with this.

We have the## technology, the operational experience, and the# institutional knowledge to address these threats.## So, the issue is less about whether we# can respond and more about whether the## responsible organizations are putting in enough# priority and resources against the problem.

And, in particular, a service with the# primary responsibility for base defense,## the United States Army, needs to increase# its efforts on this topic.

So it's an area## that requires greater attention,# greater involvement, investment,## and a much greater sense of urgency# than has been lent to the issue today.

LIZ LANDERS: Who do you think is behind this# incident at Barksdale?

Because we have seen## that China has demonstrated very sophisticated# drone use just for entertainment purposes.

For example, they had a Guinness# Book of World Records event last## year where there were more than 7,500# drones that lit up the night sky in## this just demonstration just for# entertainment there in that city.

LT.

GEN.

DAVID DEPTULA (RET.

): Yes, well,# that is -- and I have witnessed several of## those entertainment displays, but those should# not be confused with battlefield performance.

Flying thousands of unmanned# aircraft in a scripted show## under controlled conditions is really# different from operating in combat,## under jamming, interference, attrition and# attack.

So the military question is not## whether they can do choreography.

It's whether# they can function in a contested environment.

LIZ LANDERS: Sir, what kind of information can# be obtained and gleaned if you have drone swarms## that are hovering over these critical military# installations for up to four hours at a time?

LT.

GEN.

DAVID DEPTULA (RET.

): Well, it's a --# once again, it's an indication of serious concern,## because it's one thing to observe.

It's another# thing to turn that observation into the kind of## lethal attacks that we saw Ukraine execute against# the Russians in some of their highly publicized## activities where they lost drones out of trucks# and destroyed several Russian long-range bombers.

So that, quite frankly, is the area of concern.# And that's why I say we really need to increase## our attention on taking action.

I would suggest# that command-and-control is an extraordinarily## piece or -- extraordinarily important piece# of this equation, and that authority to engage## drones indicating hostile intent needs to be# distributed down to the lowest possible levels.

And those -- these are all issues that the# military is addressing and is facing.

But## we do need to turn up the emphasis# and investment in this area.

LIZ LANDERS: General Dave# Deptula, thank you for joining us.

LT.

GEN.

DAVID DEPTULA (RET.

): My pleasure.