The University of Arizona College of Engineering and the non-profit Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance on Friday marked the launch of the Advanced Education in Terrestrial Operations and Space, or AETOS, program.

The initiate certificate program runs July 16, 2026, through Feb. 20, 2027, and trains rising military leaders in near-space and drone defense.

"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."

MDAA and the college established the Institute for Near Space Studies on Oct. 19, 2023, and collaborated to expand MDAA's Youth Impact Program at the university, a STEM pipeline program to inspire disadvantaged middle schoolers. The AETOS program is the latest expansion in this collaboration.

Near space – defined as 60,000 to 300,000 feet above Earth – lacks federal regulation, leaving the U.S. vulnerable to foreign balloons, airships and certain planes. Drones have also grown into a common attack strategy in low-altitude terrestrial airspace.

The AETOS program considers these gaps opportunities to advance defense technology.

"On the lower end, you can develop balloons with unique sensing and other mission-critical platforms," said David W. Hahn, Craig M. Berge 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."

College faculty members will share expertise in hypersonic, artificial intelligence and flight mechanics through in-depth lectures on the latest research in their fields. AETOS participants will apply that knowledge to capstone projects.

Drawing on the success of the college's interdisciplinary capstone program and the MDAA-USC Shield program, students will develop a study or prototype offering tangible solutions to national security challenges. 

"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.

Hahn and Ellison expect 12 to 18 students in the first cohort – mostly military personnel, sponsored by commanding officers or government officials.

"The university can do things faster and better," Ellison said. "We're excited to have the University of Arizona expertise on this."