The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 is leading the Department of War’s efforts to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving threat posed by small unmanned aircraft systems. As adversaries continue to expand their use of low-cost, highly adaptable drones for surveillance, disruption and attack, the DoW is transforming how it acquires technology, fields capabilities and integrates operations across the counter-UAS enterprise.

Established in August 2025, JIATF-401 serves as a centralized organization focused on rapidly delivering C-UAS capabilities while improving the policies, standards, partnerships and training needed to meet an increasingly evolving threat environment. By bringing together stakeholders across government, industry and the joint force, the task force is helping create a more integrated approach to homeland defense and warfighter readiness.

JIATF-401 AND THE NEED FOR A UNIFIED COUNTER-SUAS APPROACH

The establishment of JIATF-401 reflected a growing recognition that traditional processes were not designed to keep pace with the speed at which drone threats are evolving. sUAS have become increasingly accessible, adaptable and difficult to counter, creating new challenges for military operations, homeland security and critical infrastructure protection. Over the past year, JIATF-401 has focused on closing the gap between operational needs and fielded solutions.

According to JIATF-401 Rapid Acquisition Chief U.S. Army Col. Tony Lindh, “Over the past 12 months, JIATF-401 worked to translate operational requirements into fielded capabilities while improving the policies, standards, training and partnerships needed to build a more integrated C-UAS enterprise.”

That effort extends beyond technology alone. By bringing together organizations across the DoW, the federal government and private industry, the task force has focused on one central objective — rapidly delivering C-UAS capabilities to warfighters at home and abroad.

The results have been felt across multiple mission areas.

“In our first year, these efforts produced results across the C-UAS mission, strengthening homeland defense, improving joint force readiness and increasing warfighter lethality while laying the groundwork for faster and more effective responses to an evolving threat,” Lindh said.

The task force’s establishment reflects a strategic shift away from fragmented efforts toward a unified approach that can quickly identify capability gaps, streamline technology adoption and ensure operational units receive the tools they need at the speed of relevance. By placing authorities, resources and decision-making under one coordinated structure, the Department aims to break down silos, reduce redundancy and accelerate the pace at which counter?sUAS capabilities are developed and deployed.

A MULTI?AGENCY TEAM DRIVING TRANSFORMATION

One of the defining characteristics of JIATF-401 is its integrated organizational structure. Rather than approaching the drone threat through separate organizations operating independently, the task force was built to bring together expertise from across the military and federal government under a common mission.

“JIATF-401 was established as a jointly manned organization composed of Department of War personnel drawn from across the military services, with embedded interagency expertise,” Lindh explained. “To ensure a broader whole-of-government approach, the task force incorporates embedded subject matter experts from other federal departments and agencies to align with the C-sUAS mission.”

These subject matter experts represent federal partners such as U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Federal Aviation Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Department of Homeland Security; Department of State; Department of Transportation; Federal Communications Commission; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency; and U.S. Secret Service.

The result is a team capable of addressing operational, technical, acquisition and policy challenges while maintaining unity of effort across the broader C-UAS enterprise.

NEW PROCESSES DESIGNED FOR SPEED AND ADAPTABILITY

At the heart of JIATF-401’s mission is the recognition that countering rapidly evolving drone threats requires faster and more adaptable processes than those traditionally used to acquire and field capabilities.

According to Lindh, “JIATF-401 utilizes unique procurement and acquisition authorities to bypass traditional timelines and deliver C-UAS capabilities at the speed of relevance.”

A key component of that effort, he said, is drones.mil, a first-of-its-kind centralized marketplace that aggregates demand and streamlines pathways to procurement. This allows authorized users across the joint force, the interagency, as well as allies and partners, to rapidly acquire validated, tested technologies.

The task force has also helped reshape how C-UAS operations are approached in the field.

“Operationally, JIATF-401 has transitioned from traditional air defense mindset of single systems providing near-perfect defense towards a layered ‘systems-of-systems’ approach,” Lindh explained.

That shift reflects a broader understanding that countering drone threats requires more than a single technology or platform.

“There is no silver bullet technology that will solve the drone problem,” Lindh said. “We need the right people, policy, permissions and training to build a layered defense against the threat of drones.”

To support that layered approach, JIATF-401 has focused on eliminating barriers to integration across the C-UAS enterprise.

In support of this ‘system-of-system’ approach, Lindh said the task force has eliminated the reliance on stove-piped systems by establishing an enterprise-wide agreement for a common tactical user interface and advanced standardized data protocols.

“This open architecture ensures plug-and-play interoperability, allowing sensors and effectors to rapidly integrate and share threat data,” he said. “These updates provide tailored, layered defenses to help warfighters and homeland security personnel adapt as sUAS threats continue to evolve.”

TESTING, FIELDING AND PREPARING FOR FUTURE CHALLENGES

Keeping pace with the threat requires more than rapidly acquiring technologies. It also requires continuous testing, evaluation and refinement to ensure new capabilities remain effective in a changing operational environment.

To that end, “JIATF-401 is rapidly delivering and testing C-UAS capabilities in multiple theaters,” Lindh said. “These updated operational capabilities and processes are evaluated in battle labs, during joint exercises and alongside partners and allies.”

The insights gained through those activities help inform both current capability development and long-term planning efforts. Looking ahead, the task force remains focused on building systems that can adapt as drone technologies continue to evolve.

“To plan for continually evolving drone threat, JIATF-401 is advancing software-defined, hardware-enabled systems that can be updated over the air, while establishing standard test guidelines and an enterprise-wide agreement for a common tactical user interface,” he said.

At the same time, JIATF-401 is leveraging acquisition reform to strengthen the broader industrial base supporting the mission.

Through our first-of-its-kind C-UAS marketplace, accessible on drones.mil, Lindh said we are “aggregating demand to expand the industrial base, lower costs and ensure U.S. and allied forces can rapidly procure vetted, interoperable capabilities at the speed of the evolving threat.”

Together, these efforts are positioning the DoW to anticipate emerging challenges rather than simply reacting to them.

WORKFORCE AND TRAINING FOR A MODERN C-SUAS MISSION

Technology remains a critical part of the C-UAS mission, but JIATF-401 emphasizes that success depends equally on trained personnel, effective policies and strong partnerships. Lindh explained that JIATF-401 works closely with industry, academia and across the military to help expand the definition of C-UAS capability beyond hardware.

Recognizing the importance of education and professional development, the organization has invested in training initiatives designed to expand expertise across the joint force.

“To ensure education and training is available, JIATF-401 assumed oversight of the Joint Counter-UAS University at Fort Sill and developed a Train-the-Trainer model to expand C-UAS expertise across the joint force,” he said.

Additionally, the task force has strengthened collaboration with interagency partners responsible for C-UAS training and knowledge sharing.

“We have also expanded our partnership with the FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center, where JIATF-401 personnel are embedded to support instruction, and share lessons learned with our interagency partners,” Lindh said. The NCUTC is the nation’s first dedicated federal hub for training law enforcement and security professionals to detect, assess and counter unlawful drone activity.

These efforts are helping build a workforce capable of supporting a layered defense against increasingly sophisticated drone threats, while ensuring lessons learned are shared across the broader C-UAS community.

One year after its establishment, JIATF-401 continues to reshape the Department of War’s approach to the C-UAS mission by accelerating capability delivery, strengthening interoperability and bringing together military, interagency and industry partners under a more integrated framework.

Through innovative acquisition pathways, enterprise-wide standards and a layered system-of-systems approach, the task force is helping close the gap between emerging threats and operational capabilities. Its efforts span acquisition, testing, training and partnership development, all aimed at delivering effective C-UAS solutions at the speed of relevance.

As drone technology continues to evolve, JIATF-401 is helping ensure the DoW remains prepared to meet today’s challenges while building the agility and adaptability needed to address the threats of tomorrow.

For more information, visit War.gov or go to CUAS.mil to learn more about the C-UAS marketplace.

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By Cheryl Marino for Behind the Frontlines