The Department of Homeland Security has established a new office aimed at streamlining timelines for purchasing and deploying drone and counter-drone technologies.
DHS said Monday that the newly created Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems is intended to oversee investments in technologies designed to detect, track and mitigate hostile or illicit drone activity across U.S. airspace.
The office has already begun operating and is in the final stages of completing a $115 million investment in counter-drone technologies. According to DHS, the initiative aligns with the Trump administration’s focus on restoring American airspace sovereignty and addressing the growing misuse of unmanned aircraft.
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What Immediate Security Needs Does the New DHS Office Address?
“Drones represent the new frontier of American air superiority,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, a 2025 Wash100 Award recipient. “Under President Trump, we are entering a new era to defend our air superiority to protect our borders and the interior of the United States.”
Speaking about the new office, Noem stated it will help “continue to secure the border and cripple the cartels, protect our infrastructure, and keep Americans safe as they attend festivities and events during a historic year of America’s 250th birthday and FIFA 2026.”
What Authorities Support DHS Counter-Drone Operations?
DHS noted that President Donald Trump signed legislation in 2018 granting DHS components authority to detect and mitigate drone threats. Since then, the department said it has performed more than 1,500 missions against illicit drone activity.
In December, DHS authorities were further expanded to allow all department components, as well as state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement partners and correctional agencies, to combat drone threats more broadly.
What Other DHS Drone Initiatives Are Underway?
In addition to launching the new program executive office, DHS highlighted several related initiatives.
The department recently requested proposals for a new $1.5 billion counter-drone contract vehicle intended to enable Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among other components, to acquire technologies more quickly.
DHS also pointed to a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program that awarded $250 million for counter-drone capabilities to states hosting 2026 FIFA World Cup matches and the National Capital Region.
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