For five consecutive nights beginning March 9, swarms of 12–15 sophisticated drones penetrated the airspace of Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. This is one of the two U.S. bases housing nuclear-capable B-52 bombers, which were actively flying combat strikes against Iran at the time. The military's jamming equipment failed to stop them and flight operations were halted each night. A shelter-in-place order was issued, and for 11 days, the American public was told nothing.

The story only surfaced when a classified military briefing dated March 15 was leaked to ABC News. The drones, it revealed, were custom-built, showed non-commercial signal characteristics, resisted all jamming, and may have been autonomous. Analysts assessed with "high confidence" that incursions would continue, this was not an isolated incursion.

Around the same time, unidentified drones were spotted flying over Fort McNair in Washington, D.C, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were residing. The incident triggered a White House meeting and consideration of relocating both officials. Neither was moved. No origin was determined. No statement was issued.

On March 20, the DOD, DOJ, DHS, and FAA issued a joint warning threatening fines and criminal charges for unauthorized drone operations near restricted airspace. As of March 23, there have been no arrests and no public attribution for either event.

Timeline of Incursions:

March 9 — A single drone is detected over Barksdale AFB, triggering a security alert. A shelter-in-place order is issued for base personnel, then lifted the same day. At the time it was treated as an isolated incident. — KSLA

March 10 — Waves of 12–15 drones enter the airspace and loiter over the flight line for approximately four hours. The base deploys its electronic jamming equipment which fails. Flight operations are halted. — ABC News · The Daily Beast

March 11 — The swarm returns for a third consecutive night, operating over sensitive areas including the flight line. Entry and exit patterns are structured to prevent triangulation of the operators' location. — ABC News

March 12 — Drones are observed with lights activated while over the base. A later military briefing notes the behavior suggests the operators were deliberately testing the base's security responses. — ABC News

March 13 — Jamming fails again. The base's classified briefing, later leaked, states that analysts assess "with high confidence" that unauthorized drone activity will continue at Barksdale in the near term. — The Daily Beast

March 15 — A classified document summarizing the week's events is completed. Key findings: the drones were custom-built, displayed non-commercial signal characteristics, resisted all jamming, and may have been autonomous or semi-autonomous. — ABC News

March 18 — Unidentified drones are spotted over Fort McNair, the Army installation in Southwest D.C. where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reside. A White House meeting is convened. Officials consider relocating both men. Neither is moved. No origin is determined. — Washington Post

March 20 — Eleven days after the first incursion, the Barksdale story surfaces publicly — only because a classified briefing was leaked to ABC News. On the same day, the DOD, DOJ, DHS, and FAA issue a joint warning threatening fines and criminal charges for unauthorized drone operations near restricted airspace. No arrests are announced. No attribution is made. — Fox News · DefenseScoop