“There is no ‘silver bullet’ to address this challenge,” said the task force director. “And this pilot program integrates cutting-edge technology into the department’s broader counter-drone toolkit.”
“State and local and federal law enforcement officers across the country can purchase from this site. We’ve already had purchases,” Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said.
“Following a thorough, data-informed Safety Risk Assessment, we determined that these systems do not present an increased risk to the flying public,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said.
Earlier this week, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 said it had committed more than $600 million in unmanned aerial system defenses for Operation Epic Fury and stateside efforts.
Drone incursions over stateside military bases and other restricted areas have been widespread in recent years as commercially available systems proliferate.
JIATF 401 and the FAA, along with about half a dozen other agencies, conducted the test between March 7-8, an evaluation fast-tracked by back-to-back incidents involving counter-drone lasers last month that temporarily shut down Texas airspace.
The announcement comes as the U.S. military is working to enhance its counter-UAS prowess.
“This CSO will enable the Army to rapidly acquire and deliver innovative solutions to the Warfighter using commercial technology,” officials wrote in a solicitation.
Its guidance for uniform, data-backed testing and an acknowledgment of privacy protections related to UAS employment in the U.S. comes amid keen public interest over counter-drone systems, both at home and abroad.
The announcement comes after lawmakers from both parties criticized interagency coordination over the use of domestic counter-drone technology in the wake of back-to-back incidents in Texas last month that caused airspace closures.
