Pentagon’s counter-drone task force inks $500M contract for SkyValor ‘detect and defeat’ system after border testing

Joint Interagency Task Force 401, the Pentagon’s counter-drone hub, awarded CACI International a contract worth up to $500 million for its SkyValor system, the military and vendor announced Thursday, designed to use long-range, “non-kinetic” jamming against unmanned aerial systems.

DefenseScoop reported last month that JIATF-401 had approved SkyValor for use across the military after two days of testing in Arizona. Now, according to CACI, the system will be deployed to “critical,” but unspecified sites, including as part of an initial task order for the Pentagon’s Domestic Shield initiative.

The contract comes as the military sprints to fill its counter-drone stable of systems, including at the U.S.-Mexico border and amid the Iran war. Military officials say that defeating UAS requires a “layered” approach, meaning they expect to use multiple systems with different capabilities to target a variety of drones.

“Moving at the speed of relevance requires acquisition reform and contracts like this enable the procurement agility we need to rapidly deliver c-UAS technology to our warfighters,” Col. Tony Lindh, deputy director for rapid acquisitions in JIATF-401, said in a press release.

He added that using an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract “allows us to avoid overly specific product-centric programs. Since there is no single solution for drone defense, we must have the flexibility to procure layered systems to defend the homeland.”

CACI bills SkyValor as being able to provide early warning, long-range targeting and 24/7 automated sensing. A trailer-based system, it can target small and large drones using “automated sense and shoot algorithms” at more than 40 miles away in some cases, according to the company. 

It also uses “low/no-collatoral” tools like nets from four miles away, a type of capability military officials previously said was key to a layered defense. Under the contract, JIATF-401 said it was looking at the company’s CORIAN v3 system, a fixed-site version of SkyValor with radio frequency jamming capabilities. It also referenced BEAM, a small, “backpackable” variant. 

In recent months, top military officials have expressed concern over the lack of counter-drone equipment at the U.S.-Mexico border, specifically ones needed to cover soldiers and Marines now charged with patrolling the area.

“Warfighters need a decisive advantage against drone threats that are faster, more accessible, and harder to detect,” John Mengucci, CACI’s president and CEO, said in a press release. “With successful operational evaluations complete, we are moving SkyValor into full-rate production to deliver mission-ready protection where it is needed most.”

Neither announcement said how many systems the military expected CACI to deliver under the new deal. A separate contract for CACI will deliver a SkyValor variant integrated with a truck, the company said.