Soldiers of the 443rd Transportation Company taking classroom instruction for counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS) training during Mobilization Exercise (MOBEX) II, April 9, 2025, in Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. MOBEX is an exercise used to train and prepare reserve or national guard units for deployment. (Army photo by Spc. Vanner Bochik) The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Image: DoD
By: FEDweek StaffDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Army to create a new Joint Interagency Task Force to take control of all U.S. military counter‑drone programs and disband the Pentagon’s existing Joint C‑sUAS Office, according to an Aug. 28 DoD memo and an Army Association of the United States summary. (Note: A recent executive order gives the department the “secondary” title of Department of War to better emphasize “readiness and resolve,” with legislation pending in Congress to formalize the name change.)
The DoD memo directs Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll to establish Joint Interagency Task Force 401, reporting directly to Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey. The task force will have authority to set joint technical standards, approve systems for enterprise‑wide use, and align service‑level efforts under a single architecture.
The consolidation raises contracting questions in the rapidly expanding military drone market as DoD tries to adapt more quickly to this new battle field reality of swarms of cheap unmanned hardware. For example, the Marine Corps’ $642 million Anduril Industries deal, awarded in March for fixed‑site base‑defense systems—under a single authority for the first time.
The military drone market—now worth about $40 billion—is projected to more than double by 2030. U.S. programs account for most North American sales, and Pentagon procurement for unmanned systems has surged in 2025 alongside a multi‑billion‑dollar race to field counter‑drone defenses.
With the Pentagon moving quickly to consolidate oversight, each branch will be required to name a senior representative and submit a complete inventory of counter‑drone projects by late September. Using that data, the new task force will produce a joint roadmap for capability development, testing, and fielding by November—a schedule officials say is meant to deliver the first unified inventory and roadmap within months, replacing years of fragmented, service‑by‑service development with a single, interoperable architecture.
This restructuring is aimed at fixing long‑criticized weaknesses as each branch has pursued its own C‑sUAS systems—from handheld jammers to vehicle‑mounted lasers—often with incompatible architectures and data‑sharing protocols, slowing real-time coordination, leaving exploitable gaps.
Pentagon officials say centralizing authority could speed acquisitions and cut costs, but the move may face pushback from services that have already invested heavily in their own systems. It remains to be seen if aligning programs under a single architecture will result in modifying or cancelling existing contracts, with ripple effects for contractors and program offices. But if implemented slowly, perhaps the end result is better coordination and interoperability of the systems and services behind this technological shift.
Congressional scrutiny will follow where counter‑drone contract dollars are awarded, as large programs concentrate jobs and subcontractor work in specific districts, giving members on the armed services and appropriations panels incentives to defend them during reorganizations. The current task force consolidation coincides with counter‑UAS legislation and FY25 NDAA oversight, with committees seeking briefings on low‑cost and AI‑enabled defeat systems, reauthorization of counter‑drone authorities, and updates on schedules, down‑select criteria, and duplication in existing programs.
The Pentagon says JIATF‑401 will address those gaps by creating a single authority to set joint technical standards, approve interoperable systems, and speed enterprise‑wide fielding. The unified inventory and roadmap, due by November, is intended to eliminate duplication, improve real‑time data sharing across services, and accelerate deployment of counter‑drone capabilities in fast‑moving combat environments.
The DoD memo also directs a 36‑month sunset review to determine whether the task force should be extended, modified, or disbanded.
Trump to move Space Command headquarters out of Colorado
National Guard Order Calls for Hiring More Fed LEOs, Military Unit Under Interior, DHS, Justice
Audit: Rise in ‘Severe Staffing Shortages’ at VA Medical Facilities
Marines Seek New Boots on the Ground
Can My Military Discharge be Upgraded? Yes
The Rules for Getting Both Military Retired Pay and a Federal Annuity
Credit for Military Service for Federal Retirement Annuities
