U.S. Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, a 2026 Wash100 awardee, and Romania's national defense minister have signed an agreement to enable the southeastern European country to buy counter-unmanned aerial systems through the Joint Interagency Task Force 401, or JIATF-401, marketplace.
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The Army said Wednesday the effort supports the Department of War’s initiative to expand partner nation access to critical capabilities and reinforces JIATF-401's role in rapidly fielding C-UAS systems.
What Are the Details of the US Army-Romania Agreement?
The agreement allows Romania to access and procure C-UAS technologies through the JIATF-401 marketplace, which connects a range of counter-drone systems with government users seeking scalable and interoperable platforms.
JIATF-401 leads DOW efforts to field C-UAS systems and align allies and partners against evolving drone threats. The effort builds on collaboration with allies, including the U.K, to speed up capability delivery and improve interoperability. It also supports the Army secretary’s objective to broaden marketplace access to 25 partner countries by the end of the summer of 2026.
What Did JIATF-401 Leaders Say About the Agreement?
Army Maj. Matt Mellor, lead acquisitions specialist for JIATF-401, said the initiative extends access to established capabilities while maintaining alignment with allies and partners.
“Expanding the marketplace to include Romania is a critical step in strengthening the broader C-UAS ecosystem,” Mellor added.
Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401, said the organization is working to expand the market for counter-UAS technologies across multiple use cases.
“This is not just about the most exquisite systems. It’s about a range of capabilities that can meet the needs of different users from the tactical edge to critical infrastructure protection in our homeland and for our allies and partners. As the market grows, the C-UAS industry must be positioned to scale their production and meet the needs of this broadening customer base,” Ross noted.
What Recent Moves Are Shaping the JIATF-401 Marketplace?
The Army-led JIATF-401 recently announced that it completed four initial purchases worth $13 million combined through the newly launched counter-UAS marketplace, which achieved initial operational capability in February.
In March, the Pentagon and the U.K. defense ministry signed a joint declaration of intent to establish common data standards for C-UAS to enable data sharing with allies and accelerate deployment of new capabilities. Under the agreement, JIATF-401 will adopt the new data standards as a requirement for all systems entering its C-UAS marketplace.
