U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a drone demonstration at the Pentagon, July 10, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Lance Cpl. Isaac Llanez Delgado)
The proposed Robotic and Autonomous Systems Combatant Command would have special test and evaluation authorities, as well as limited acquisition authorities to streamline capability delivery.
U.S. soldiers assigned to the 759th Military Police Battalion, 89th Military Police Brigade, under the Joint Task Force-Southern Border, conduct dismounted patrol operations along the southern border in Wellton, Arizona, March 22, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Erica Esterly)
Officials said the system adds to the burgeoning suite of counter-drone tools the Pentagon is deploying to the U.S.-Mexico border, a region senior military officers have dubbed…
A US soldier prepares an interception drone of the American MEROPS counter drone system to launch during tests at the Nowa Deba military training ground, south-eastern Poland, on November 18, 2025. (Photo by Wojtek RADWANSKI / AFP) (Photo by WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Joint Interagency Task Force 401 noted in its press release that these systems “are currently being employed by forces operating in U.S. Central Command.”
Anthony Kavanaugh, left, a drone operator with a U.S. Army Unmanned Aerial Systems Mission Assurance team, operates a small-UAS while Ari Snipes, right, a drone operator with a U.S. Army UASMA team, prepares a s-UAS at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C., April 23, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo by Hayden Hallman)
"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."
An FPV drone assembly during the Operator Drone Basic Course at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Jan. 21, 2026. In the course’s foundational week, students with zero prior experience build drones from the frame up—including carbon fiber arms, flight controllers, ESCs, wiring, and hardware—learning troubleshooting and repair to enhance precision strike, reconnaissance, and counter-UAS capabilities while minimizing risk to operators on future battlefields. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jacob Bradford)
“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.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Aguilar, members of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the Federal Aviation Administration, and key leaders from White Sands Missile Range, N.M., support a high-energy laser test using the AMP-HEL system March 7, 2026. (Courtesy Photo)
“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.
An Electronic Advanced Ground Launcher System (EAGLS) counter-UAS fires an Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) Hydra 70 rocket during an Exercise Sky Shield live-fire event in Kuwait, Dec. 4, 2025. (U.S. Army photo by Joseph Kumzak)
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…
A quadcopter drone hovers in an indoor training area on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Jan 28, 2026. Many small, commercially availabe drones come equipped with high-definition camers and can be programmed to automatically transmit data to adversaries. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Theodore Gowdy)
Drone incursions over stateside military bases and other restricted areas have been widespread in recent years as commercially available systems proliferate.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael Aguilar, members of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the Federal Aviation Administration, and key leaders from White Sands Missile Range, N.M., support a high-energy laser test using the AMP-HEL system March 7, 2026. (Courtesy Photo)
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…
This photograph shows the Anduril logo on display during the 55th edition of the International Paris Air Show (Salon international de l’aeronautique et de l’espace – SIAE) at the Paris–Le Bourget Airport, in Le Bourget, north of Paris on June 19, 2025. (Photo by Thibaud MORITZ / AFP/ via Getty Images)
