SEPTEMBER 9, 2026 – Joint Interagency Task Force 401 recently published its 2026 Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Quick Reference Guide, establishing a shared baseline of technical and tactical knowledge across the joint force and interagency partners.
“The proliferation of unmanned aircraft systems is creating new challenges at home and abroad,” said Army Brig. Gen. Matthew Ross, task force director. “There is no silver bullet or single solution to address this challenge. This [quick reference guide] is a practical tool to help leaders and operators understand the [counter-UAS] landscape, apply lessons learned and rapidly put effective solutions into the hands of warfighters and other security personnel.”
The task force developed the guide to help planners and tactical operators understand their equipment’s full capabilities. It translates high-level strategic doctrine into concrete, repeatable tactics, techniques and procedures, enabling synchronized defenses against a rapidly evolving threat.
“A [quick reference guide] like this benefits everyone,” said Air Force Col. Jonathan M. Beha, the data, analysis, requirements and training division chief for JIATF 401. “Operators have a concise guide to reference and build their tactics, policymakers new to the [counter-UAS] mission have a starting place for learning, and the broader community is able to seek out more information.”
The document includes a lessons learned section that shares real-world tactical outcomes. This direct feedback loop between frontline operators and developers ensures defensive strategies and training evolve as quickly as the threat, preventing repeated tactical mistakes and improving operational security.
With low-cost commercial drones in Ukraine and the Middle East fundamentally changing the battlefield, combatant commands worldwide face a variety of aerial threats that now include both state and nonstate actors. To defend against these threats, the guide provides a common technical baseline for sensors, command and control, and intercepting drones in groups 1-3 in deployed and homeland settings.
By establishing clear, repeatable tactics, it establishes common operational language, allowing military and interagency teams to coordinate quickly and effectively.
Formatted as a tactical pocket guide, the quick reference guide ensures that defensive strategies, capabilities and training methods can adapt as rapidly as emerging drone technologies.
By Army Lt. Col. Adam Scher
Joint Interagency Task Force 401