The United States military is accelerating development of counter-unmanned aerial system (UAS) capabilities as the technology plays a key role in Operation Epic Fury and other security measures. The U.S. Department of War (DOW) Joint Task Force (JIATF) 401 pledged more than $600 million to buy new counter-UAS capabilities to support Epic Fury and homeland defense needs, according to an April 2026 DOW news release.
For Epic Fury, the task force committed $350 million during the first month of combat operations to meet urgent requirement from U.S. Central Command, U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command and Global Strike Command and U.S. Army Transportation Command.
“This decisive action demonstrates JIATF 401’s ability to rapidly translate operational needs into fielded capability while also remaining firmly focused on homeland defense,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of the task force. “From day one, our mission has been to move with speed and purpose to keep pace with this evolving threat.”
JIATF 401 will also spend $100 million to enhance counter-UAS capability for the 2026 International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup, focusing on mobile counter-drone technologies to protect stadiums and fan zones in 11 cities across nine states. Working with interagency partners and law enforcement, the U.S. military is providing mobile counter-UAS solutions designed for sensing and nonkinetic mitigation as part of a layered defense. Under the U.S. Army’s Transformation in Contact initiative, U.S. Army National Guard units will employ these capabilities to protect people and infrastructure during FIFA events. After the World Cup, these systems will be incorporated into installation and critical infrastructure defense plans, giving installation commanders flexible, mobile assets that can be rapidly positioned against drone threats, according to the news release.
Also, JIATF 401 made a $158 million commitment under the Domestic Shield initiative, the DOW’s effort to develop counter-drone technology, formerly called Replicator 2. The services provided input directly to JIATF 401 through an expedited site survey and requirements process. The task force validated those requirements quickly, ensuring capabilities are tailored to mission needs and delivered as part of an integrated protection plan.
Conflicts including Epic Fury and the Russia-Ukraine war have led to the rapid development of drone capabilities across domains as well as the technology to defend against unmanned systems.
“The speed and scale of these commitments reflect extraordinary coordination across the Department of War and interagency partners. Efforts that traditionally take years have been executed in months, demonstrating JIATF 401’s commitment to delivering operationally relevant capability at speed,” said Michelle Self, deputy of the rapid acquisition division for the task force. “This coordinated, whole-of-government approach remains essential to defending the homeland and sustaining global operations.”