WASHINGTON — As drones rapidly transform modern warfare, the United States is intensifying efforts to find the cheapest and most effective ways to counter them.

From small, off-the-shelf quadcopters to advanced military UAVs, drones have proven to be disruptive on the battlefield. Their affordability and versatility make them attractive to both state and non-state actors — but also pose new challenges for defense systems.

U.S. researchers and military planners are now testing a range of countermeasures, beginning with low-cost electronic jamming tools that can disable drones mid-flight. Other budget-friendly methods under consideration include signal disruption, net-based systems, and even trained birds of prey.

At the higher end of the spectrum, the military is also exploring directed-energy weapons like high-powered lasers and advanced missile defense systems, though these options come with significantly greater expense.

Experts say the key will be creating a layered defense system — using low-cost tools to handle the bulk of drone threats while deploying more advanced solutions against heavily armed or swarm-based attacks.