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The U.S. Army, working through Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401), awarded 10 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a combined ceiling of $4.15 billion to procure counter-uncrewed aircraft systems under the Pentagon’s Domestic Shield initiative. The contracts support layered defenses for high-priority U.S. defense facilities and assets, spanning drone detection, tracking, command and control, electronic jamming, and physical defeat capabilities such as compact radars, long-range cameras, optical rifle scopes, robotic weapon stations, and effectors.
Seven vendors received contract ceilings of $500 million each, while Echodyne and PVP Advanced EO Systems received $250 million ceilings and SmartShooter received $150 million. Only $50 million has initially been obligated, with subsequent orders dependent on congressional appropriations during the fiscal 2027 continuing resolution. JIATF-401 has now awarded more than $5 billion against Domestic Shield’s planned $7 billion ceiling, including earlier awards to AeroVironment and CACI, and expects additional awards before the end of the following month.
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The U.S. Army and JIATF-401 awarded 10 counter-unmanned aircraft system IDIQ contracts with a combined $4.15 billion ceiling. The awards cover layered detection-to-defeat capabilities, including radars, sensors, weapon systems, jammers, command-and-control systems, and tracking cameras; approximately $50 million was initially obligated.
AeroVironment received a separate $80.5 million purchase order for its Titan MS system to support Air Force Global Strike Command.
JIATF-401 previously awarded AeroVironment (AV) a nearly $500 million sole-source IDIQ contract for counter-drone capabilities under the broader Domestic Shield effort.
JIATF-401 awarded CACI a $500 million IDIQ contract under Domestic Shield, with SkyValor selected for the first task order.
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U.S. military leaders said small unmanned aircraft are increasingly threatening both domestic installations and overseas operations, prompting a broader push to improve counter-drone defenses. Gen. Gregory Guillot told lawmakers that **350 drone detections** were reported over the past year across **100 U.S. military installations**, with the primary concern being surveillance of sensitive capabilities by known and unknown actors. He said existing authorities under `Title 10, Section 130i` are too narrow because only about half of installations are covered and commanders often cannot act against drones flying just outside base perimeters. NORTHCOM and NORAD have since established a dedicated counter-drone operations branch, and the Pentagon designated NORTHCOM as the lead coordinator for counter-small UAS efforts in the continental United States and Alaska. At the same time, the Pentagon is continuing to send counter-UAS systems to the Middle East through **Joint Interagency Task Force 401** as regional tensions and an unstable ceasefire sustain demand for air defense. JIATF-401 said it committed more than **$600 million** in counter-drone defenses for Operation Epic Fury and domestic missions, including about **$350 million** in roughly 30 days for CENTCOM. Officials and outside experts said the threat now spans Iran-backed drone activity, lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war, unauthorized flights over bases such as **Barksdale Air Force Base**, southern border operations, and security planning for major events including the **2026 FIFA World Cup**. The Defense Department is also testing commercially available systems through Falcon Peak exercises to detect, track, identify, and defeat low-emission and no-emission drones.
Jun 29, 2026
The U.S. Army issued its first production contracts under the Rapid Electromagnetic Warfare and Signals Intelligence (REWSI) initiative, awarding nearly $196 million to Heaviside Industries and Research Innovations Inc. (RII). Heaviside received a five-year, $99 million IDIQ contract for its compact MOTH spectrum-analysis sensor, including maintenance and enhancements, while RII received a $96.9 million IDIQ contract for AI-driven Dragonfly sensors. MOTH and Dragonfly are intended to give Army formations electromagnetic-spectrum situational awareness, signal detection and identification, direction finding, and geolocation capabilities. Dragonfly will be carried on Menet Aero Intrepid 1200 unmanned aircraft systems. Led by the Army Project Manager for Electromagnetic Warfare and Collection, REWSI is designed to accelerate fielding of commercially developed sensing, jamming, and spectrum-protection technology for large-scale combat operations, reflecting the growing risk that battlefield forces can be detected and targeted through their electromagnetic emissions.
Sep 14, 2026
The UK Ministry of Defence is advancing legal changes in the *Armed Forces Bill* to give British defence personnel explicit authority to neutralize drones and other unmanned platforms deemed threatening near military bases and operations, a power currently more constrained and typically exercised by police and select agencies. The MoD cited a sharp rise in reported unmanned aerial intrusions near sensitive UK sites (266 in 2025 vs. 126 in 2024) and indicated the practical response will often rely on **electronic countermeasures** (e.g., RF jamming) rather than small-arms fire; recent examples and demonstrations referenced include RF jamming incidents and UK testing of **directed-energy** counter-drone systems (high-energy RF and laser-based capabilities). Separately, the U.S. Marine Corps’ 2nd Maintenance Battalion announced an **NDAA-compliant** modular drone, **HANX**, designed to avoid China-sourced parts and to be rapidly manufactured and repaired using **3D-printed components** in-house. The stated intent is to shorten procurement and sustainment timelines by reducing reliance on external contractors while enabling quick reconfiguration for missions ranging from reconnaissance to “one-way attack” roles, reflecting a broader push toward more secure, domestically supportable unmanned systems within U.S. defense organizations.
Jun 29, 2026