TUCSON, Ariz. — As drones become an increasingly common weapon on battlefields around the world and concerns grow over threats in the skies above the U.S., the University of Arizona College of Engineering is launching a new program to prepare the next generation of military leaders.
University officials and leaders from the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance announced the Advanced Education in Terrestrial Operations and Space program, known as AETOS, a certificate program focused on drone defense and near-space security.
Near space is considered the region between 60,000 and 300,000 feet above Earth, an area that has gained attention after incidents involving foreign spy balloons and high-altitude aircraft.
“Our ability to defeat low-flying drones at a massive scale is a challenge right now,” said Riki Ellison, founder and chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. “We are reaching out to the University of Arizona to be faster and to reach innovation quicker.”
Defense officials warn that evolving drone technology and activity in near space have exposed gaps in U.S. security systems.
Program leaders say those vulnerabilities also create opportunities for new research and defense systems.
“On the lower end, you can develop balloons with unique sensing and other mission-critical platforms,” said David W. Hahn, dean of the College of Engineering. “We have a lot of expertise in this area to do open space communications, optics, aerodynamics, balloons and space domain awareness.”
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Faculty members will teach courses and lectures on topics including hypersonics, artificial intelligence and flight mechanics.
“We really want to target rising stars — officers who will be future generals and thought leaders — and bring them together with our faculty to produce capstone design projects that help advance homeland security,” Hahn said.
The AETOS program is the latest collaboration between the university and the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. The two organizations established the Institute for Near Space Studies in 2023 and have also worked together on STEM programs for disadvantaged middle schoolers.
“The university can do things faster and better,” Ellison said. “We’re excited to have the University of Arizona expertise on this.”
The inaugural program runs from July 16, 2026, through Feb. 20, 2027, and is expected to enroll 12 to 18 participants, most of them military personnel sponsored by commanding officers or government officials.
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