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Last Update: 09/22/2026 at 11:34 PM EST
U.S. Domestic Counter-Drone Defense
Coverage from Task & Purpose, Defence Blog, and others
The United States is building a domestic counter-drone system that combines new legal authorities, interagency coordination, training, and layered detection and mitigation technologies.
The SAFER SKIES Act and implementing actions by DHS, DOJ, and the FCC establish conditions under which certified state, local, Tribal, and territorial agencies can detect and sometimes disable threatening drones. Joint Interagency Task Force 401 is coordinating national efforts around affordable low-altitude awareness, while agencies evaluate tools ranging from Remote ID and radar to radio-frequency tracking, net capture, jamming, and directed energy. The central challenge is turning fragmented authorities and systems into accountable, interoperable protection for cities, airports, public venues, borders, and other sensitive locations.
Looking Back
145 Day Timeline
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All Articles36 articles
Important
The U.S. Air Force announced a new point-defense career field within two years to counter Iranian drones and missiles threatening American installations.
9/16/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Pacific Air Forces solicited 60 DroneBuster 5 jammers on September 8 for counter-drone operations across the Indo-Pacific, pending funding.
9/8/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Senator Tom Cotton introduced the Critical Infrastructure Airspace Defense Act to give certified critical infrastructure personnel authority and grants for approved counter-drone actions.
4/28/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The Police Executive Research Forum warned in the United States that inexpensive, AI-enabled drones are creating growing risks for cities, stadiums, and law enforcement agencies.
9/19/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Joint Interagency Task Force 401 will provide counter-drone equipment to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in coming weeks.
9/18/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The U.S. Air Force 31st Air Task Force conducted counter-drone training earlier this month at Hurlburt Field, Florida, integrating AI detection, electronic warfare and kinetic interception.
8/31/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Federal authorities disrupted a reported White House drone plot on June 16, renewing focus on SLTT counter-UAS authority and training implementation under SAFER SKIES Act.
6/16/2026 • Public Safety, Emergency Response & Government Use • General
The Pentagon's Joint Interagency Task Force 401 convened agencies in Alexandria, Virginia, on August 21 to expand counter-drone detection and mitigation ahead of major U.S. events.
9/10/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Joint Interagency Task Force-401 published a 2026 unclassified counter-UAS handbook in the United States to guide military drone detection, defeat, reporting, and personnel protection.
9/10/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin told the House Appropriations Committee on June 26 that DHS would seek funding to expand the FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center amid World Cup counter-drone certification demand.
6/29/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Interesting
FCC OET and WTB issued counter-UAS spectrum and liability guidance in support of SAFER SKIES Act operations by SLTT law enforcement and corrections agencies.
7/4/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska increased counter-sUAS drone training and defense using USAF NINJA detect-and-defeat to detect, control, and trace hostile drones.
5/12/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Congress passed the Safer Skies Act, expanding counter-UAS authority as FAA enforcement gaps and base-proximate drone sightings increase U.S. security concerns.
6/11/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The U.S. Air Force is seeking refurbished DJI quadcopters for counter-drone training at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.
8/19/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
U.S. aviation, military, and homeland security authorities recorded hundreds of drone incursions across airports, bases, and the southern border during the first half of 2025.
9/8/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Chris Raia warned that cellular-enabled drone attacks could reach American cities while FBI counter-drone operations expand for major events.
7/13/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
JIATF 401 released Small Drones, Big Problems in 2024 to standardize counter-UAS defense concepts and layered strategies across federal partners.
7/9/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Congress is considering National Defense Authorization Act funding for additional Integrated Battle Command System battalions to strengthen U.S. defenses against drones and missiles, with major development in Huntsville, Alabama.
9/1/2026 • Military Drones & Battlefield Use • General
FBI Deputy Director Chris Raia warned that cellular-controlled FPV-style drones pose a U.S. security risk because counter-UAS systems built for local RF links may not work well.
6/26/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The 31st Air Task Force demonstrated layered counter-small UAS defenses during August 3-7, 2026, training at Hurlburt Field, Florida.
8/28/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
U.S. agencies expanded layered counter-drone operations during the World Cup across 11 host cities to address unidentified aircraft near public gatherings and infrastructure.
8/28/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
U.S. Strategic Command is reviewing counter-UAS defenses after Ukraine's June 2025 Operation Spiderweb and March 2026 drone incursions near Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
8/27/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The 31st Air Task Force demonstrated layered counter-sUAS defenses during a live-fire exercise near Hurlburt Field, Florida, August 3-7, 2026.
8/27/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Ukraine used concealed drones in Operation Spiderweb to destroy Russian aircraft in Russia, prompting U.S. Strategic Command to strengthen defenses around strategic infrastructure.
8/25/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Joint Interagency Task Force 401 reviewed nationwide counter-drone coordination and World Cup security results during a Virginia summit in 2026.
8/24/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
U.S. Northern Command said at a Space and Missile Defense Symposium that domestic U.S. bases currently lack adequate sensors and effectors to counter small drone swarms.
8/16/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
DHS, DOJ, and the FCC coordinated actions in SAFER SKIES Act implementation, defining qualifying agency requirements and FCC pathways for authorized counter-UAS operations.
7/7/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson trains 11th Airborne Division soldiers on Dronebuster counter-sUAS use, alongside NINJA system defenses, for installation airspace security.
5/7/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The US Air Force plans to acquire refurbished DJI drones in 2025 for isolated counter-drone training at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.
8/20/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The U.S. Air Force plans in 2025 to buy DJI drones for counter-drone training at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.
8/17/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
Additional
Joint Interagency Task Force 401 released a counter-UAS handbook on July 8, 2026, for U.S. military, federal, and local authorities, emphasizing layered defenses against small drones.
8/28/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
U.S. Northern Command officials said in Huntsville on August 13 that domestic drone swarms remain difficult to detect, attribute, and defeat across U.S. installations.
8/19/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Air Force personnel conducted a joint counter-UAS exercise at Osan Air Base in South Korea on August 6, 2026.
8/12/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
After two weeks of training, Washington National Guard personnel prepared to use Anduril counter-drone systems for large-event security in Washington state.
7/31/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
The Washington National Guard completed two weeks of WISP counter-drone training in Washington to prepare for large-event and World Cup security.
8/6/2026 • Counter-Drone & Airspace Security • General
U.S. agencies, commercial operators, and public-safety programs are expanding drone activity nationwide while recent incidents expose gaps in low-altitude air-domain awareness and coordinated response.
8/25/2026 • Regulation, Safety & Airspace Integration • General