The US Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) has launched a group of anti-drone enterprise contracts with a combined ceiling of nearly $7 billion. The framework covers detection, non-kinetic disruption and kinetic interception, giving the US military and other federal agencies access to multiple technologies rather than tying procurement to a single system.
The contracts are intended to help agencies select capabilities based on their missions, operating environments and the type of drone threat they face. For defense companies, the arrangement expands the potential supplier base; for government buyers, it creates a broader route to procure and combine different systems.
Contracts cover detection, disruption and interception
JIATF-401 announced the new counter-drone and counter-uncrewed aircraft systems contracts on Tuesday. Brent Ingraham, the US Army's assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, said there was no single answer to the drone threat, which was why the contracts were not built around one specific solution.
The contracts involve multiple companies and technology categories, including sensors that detect drones, non-kinetic systems that can jam or disable them, and kinetic weapons designed to shoot them down. US officials said expanding the supplier base would give military and government agencies more options in future procurements and reduce reliance on any one company or system.
Matthew Ross, a brigadier general and the director of JIATF-401, said during a roundtable discussion that the contracts could help place capabilities expected to be deployed widely in the hands of more units. They could also make systems previously available mainly to the Department of Defense more accessible across the government.
JIATF-401 coordinates counter-drone efforts involving the military as well as federal, state and local agencies. It replaced the team previously responsible for the area at the Pentagon.
Procurement platform expands to allies
Earlier this year, JIATF-401 established a drone procurement platform that military units and government agencies can use to select relevant systems. The United States is also working to open the platform to international partners and allies. Australia became the first ally to successfully procure technology through the platform this month.
The nearly $7 billion figure is the combined ceiling of the contracts, not spending already completed. The framework allows agencies to place orders later, with actual purchases depending on individual requirements. For defense contractors, that creates a larger potential market for supply agreements. For buyers, access to multiple vendors and technology paths allows equipment packages to be tailored to specific missions.
Battlefield incidents drive demand
The war in Ukraine has pushed the US military to adapt more quickly to the widespread use of drones on modern battlefields. Other attacks have also exposed gaps in protection. In March, hostile drones killed six US service members in Kuwait. In 2024, a drone attack in Jordan killed three US soldiers. An investigation into the Jordan incident found that US forces had not been adequately prepared for the threat at the time.
Military officials have said it is difficult to identify a single system that can be deployed at scale and address every type of drone threat. Units operate under different missions and conditions. Ross pointed to the 11th Airborne Division in Alaska and the 1st Armored Division as examples of formations with different counter-drone requirements.
Layered defenses tailored to each unit
US officials describe counter-drone defense as a layered process involving systems with different ranges and functions: detecting a target first, then deciding whether to jam, suppress or destroy it. The sensors, non-kinetic systems and kinetic weapons covered by the new contracts are intended to support that combination of capabilities.
Whether the contracts lead to field deployment will depend on subsequent purchases and the integration of equipment by each agency. The information released so far focuses on widening technology choices and supply channels. Details on how systems will be allocated, and the scale at which each capability will be deployed across different units, have not been disclosed.