Fox Battery 60th Artillery activated at Fort Bliss

FORT BLISS, Texas — The 1st Armored Division activated its first dedicated counter-unmanned aircraft systems unit, Fox Battery, 60th Air Defense Artillery, 4th Battalion, 1st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Armored Division Artillery, in a ceremony held March 19.

The activation marks a significant organizational change for 1st AD as it transforms to meet the requirements of the modern battlefield. The new unit provides the division with the capability to detect, track, identify, and defeat hostile drones, preserving freedom of maneuver and protecting critical assets.

"This battery is the first of its kind, and its mission is vital to the protection of our forces and our ability to operate in a contested environment," said Lt. Col. Fred Janoe, commander of the 4th Bn., 1st FAR. "Fox Battery, you are pioneers, the first soldiers in our Army to be organized and equipped specifically for this purpose."

While the battery’s mission is focused on future threats, its activation also revives a proud lineage. The unit inherits the history of the 60th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, whose soldiers made a final, heroic stand against Japanese forces on Corregidor Island before being captured on May 6, 1942.

"While we carry a historic name, our mission is fixed firmly on the future. In simple terms, our job is to counter enemy drones," said Capt. Steven Perez, commander, Fox Btry., 60th ADA. "As the drone threat continues to rapidly evolve, the soldiers standing in formation today will play a critical role in defending the division’s formations and critical assets.”

The responsibility for mastering this new mission now falls to the noncommissioned officers and junior enlisted soldiers filling the battery's ranks. These soldiers are tasked with becoming technical experts on sophisticated radar and engagement systems in a rapidly evolving domain of warfare.

"The path ahead will not be easy, you will face challenges, and you will be tested," said Janoe. “The technology we will master is only part of the equation. Our success will depend on our ability to innovate, to think critically, and to adapt faster than our enemy.”

As the guidon for Fox Battery officially takes its place in the division’s formation, its soldiers stand ready to write the next chapter of its history, blending a legacy of sacrifice with the advanced capabilities needed to secure the skies for years to come.