Hegseth issues new directive to hasten U.S. military’s counter-drone pursuits
The nation’s counter-drone task force “will not accept a slow-moving bureaucracy when faced with a fast-moving threat,” a spokesperson said.
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth tests a Dronebuster while touring static displays led by the 3rd Battalion, 10th Mountain Division (3/10 MTN) Warriors and Foreign Legion Force Poland Battle Group in Powidz, Poland, Feb. 15, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander C. Kubitza) Tech -
Director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 Brigadier General Matthew Ross tours Yuma Test Center at Yuma Proving Ground in Yuma, Ariz., Sept. 22, 2026, ahead of the Falcon Peak demonstration. (DOD Photo by Ana Henderson) AI How AI agents are informing JIATF-401’s procurement plans after Falcon Peak
Joint Interagency Task Force 401’s director shared new details about the counter-drone hub’s new “tech arsenal.”
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Spc. Brandon Mack, a small unmanned aircraft system operator assigned to 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Combat Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, looks through his SMASH 2000L optic, a counter-sUAS tracking scope developed by SMARTSHOOTER, during rotation 26-02 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, Nov. 2, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Julian A. Winston) Tech Pentagon task force, Army announce billions in counter-drone tech awards
So far, however, less than one percent — $50 million — of the ten new awards have been obligated, officials said, with the rest contingent on congressional funding in the new fiscal year.
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A pile of discarded drone parts, taken down during Falcon Peak 26.2. (Photo by Brandi Vincent) Tech What’s unique about Northcom’s Falcon Peak 26.2 counter-drone exercise
Anduril’s autonomous command-and-control software platform Lattice brings something new to this series of demonstrations.
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A U.S. Army soldier with 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB), monitors the southern border through binoculars during a patrol in Yuma, Az., Jan. 5, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Sawyer Carleton) Emerging Tech After back-to-back airspace blunders earlier this year, border task force shoots down ‘cartel-linked’ drones with AV laser
Over two days this week, Joint Task Force-Southern Border used the Army Multipurpose High Energy Laser system to engage three “hostile” UAS, according to a press release.
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U.S. Air Force Senior Airman John Ives, 90th Ground Combat Training Squadron defender, pilots a drone during an X4 and SMASH 2000L Systems Firing Qualification at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center’s North Training Area, Wyoming, May 15, 2026. The drone carried balloon targets to help operators practice acquiring, tracking and engaging simulated aerial threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael A. Richmond) Tech One year in, America’s counter-drone task force still has ‘a ton of work to do’
JIATF-401 leaders met to discuss inroads made and what’s next as pressure mounts to mitigate domestic UAS threats.
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U.S. Air Force Airmen attach balloons to a drone during at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center’s North Training Area, Wyoming, May 15, 2026. The balloons served as aerial targets, allowing defenders to simulate engagements against small unmanned aircraft systems. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael A. Richmond) Tech U.S. military to host directed energy ‘shoot-off’ amid governmentwide counter-drone push
Officials leading the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 shared new details about that pilot program and other updates on recent progress.
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U.S. Air Force Airmen attach balloons to a drone during an X4 and SMASH 2000L Systems Firing Qualification at Camp Guernsey Joint Training Center’s North Training Area, Wyoming, May 15, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael A. Richmond) Tech Pentagon’s counter-drone hub picked software startup Kaizen to develop c-UAS marketplace for $15M
The company built and deployed the system, which went live two weeks ago, from a “blank slate” in less than nine weeks, according to Kaizen’s CEO.
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U.S. service members and civilian contractors with CACI work at the operations center during the SkyValor Operational Demonstration at Cannon Air Defense Complex in Yuma, Arizona, May 13, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah E. Foster) Tech Pentagon’s counter-drone task force inks $500M contract for SkyValor ‘detect and defeat’ system after border testing
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.
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AeroVironment’s Titan MS system. (Image courtesy of AV) AI Pentagon awards $80M task order for AI-enabled tech to defend Air Force bases against small drones
The task order will be executed under a new $500 million IDIQ contract.