The Defense Department will integrate the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency into the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to comply with a provision in the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, Defense News reported Tuesday.Jen Judson writes the law calls for DoD to move JIDA under the supervision of an existing defense agency or a military department.
“The NDAA language does not change our scope, focus, customers, or mission,” Lt. Gen. Michael Shields, JIDA director, was quoted as saying by Defense News.
“JIDA’s support to the combatant commands and deployed U.S. joint forces will continue unchanged.”
Judson reports the group will operate as part of DTRA and will be known as Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization once the transition completes before the end of this fiscal year.
The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization rebranded in July 2015 as Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency in a move to better reflect the group’s counter-threat missions.
