Three long overlooked problems with this game.

[Frugal]

Kill the beacon. Even in a odd place LA will always be able to reach them and if your defense doesn't cover air then rethink your defense. Drop pods can be killed with flak and aircraft. It is very easy for me to hang out on the sky ceiling and shoot down the drop pods. I do it all the time.

[Frugal]

You also can not exclude static defense. You can place tank mines or proxy mines as an engi or inf and you can later switch classes and the mines will still be in place. Static defense is another tool that you must utilize or you can't say that you have a strong defense.

[Dodgy Commando]

How about this:

Just a quick suggestion, based loosely on Section 8.

Bases have an SOI. Drop Pods have brakes.

You can drop into the SOI, but the base's turrets will track you automatically should you not brake (you come in faster, but risk being destroyed). Should you choose to brake, turrets will not track you, but you stand a greater chance of being spotted by players before landing.

Outside of a base's SOI, Drop Pods work as usual.

-e-
Player-occupied AA turrets could include an 'Incoming Drop!' warning indicator.