The lab could also help with countermeasures. SOCOM has already been working with Johns Hopkins' Applied Physics Lab to turn improvised explosive detectors into drone jammers, and it won't be surprising if the hacker lab takes this development one step further.

Not that the Command can afford to wait for breakthroughs. ISIS has already ramped up its ability to fly drones (up to 70 drones in one day over Mosul alone), and SOCOM felt enough heat that it recently placed an urgent order for 350 Switchblade drones to bolster its arsenal. While the lab should ultimately help in the long run, there will likely be plenty of stopgap solutions in the near term.