The Secretary of the United States Army and Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) hosted an interagency meeting on November 13 at the White House to strengthen cooperation across the US government to counter threats posed by the nefarious use of small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS).
Senior leaders discussed the growing sophistication of small drone threats, the importance of technological integration, and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between military, law enforcement, intelligence and industry partners.
“Small uncrewed aircraft systems are changing the character of modern warfare and homeland defence,” said Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll. “Adversaries are exploiting inexpensive and adaptable drone technology faster than our current acquisition system can handle. Countering this threat requires every element of the US government working together with shared purpose and unity of effort.”
During the meeting, JIATF-401 leadership provided an update on the task force’s establishment, outlined near-term priorities, and emphasised collaboration in testing, operations and training.
“Countering drones is not just a battlefield problem — it’s a homeland defence imperative,” said Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401. “Our goal is to integrate sensors, effectors and mission command systems into a responsive, interoperable network that protects servicemembers and American citizens alike. Together with our interagency partners, we will maintain the initiative and ensure our organisations can detect, track and defeat UAS threats.” Brig. Gen. Ross maintains that no single agency can solve the drone threat alone.
JIATF-401 is operationally focused on small drones that threaten US forces, infrastructure and critical facilities. The task force aims to develop a C-UAS marketplace for capability sharing, an authoritative data set for testing and evaluation, and a forum for interagency collaboration. JIATF-401 will also continue to support the National Security Council’s initiatives under the Task Force to Restore American Airspace Sovereignty.
The meeting concluded with a commitment from the leaders to support a future JIATF-401-led interagency summit later this month.
For more information
Image: US Army photo of Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of the Joint Interagency Task Force 401
The Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.
