NOVEMBER 14, 2025 — The Secretary of the Army and Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) hosted an interagency meeting Thursday at the White House to strengthen cooperation across the U.S. government to counter threats posed by the nefarious use of small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS).
The meeting brought together senior leaders from across the federal enterprise to enhance the whole-of-government approach to counter-UAS. Senior leaders
discussed the growing sophistication of small drone threats, the importance of technological integration, and opportunities to strengthen collaboration between military, law enforcement, intelligence and industry partners.
“Small uncrewed aircraft systems are changing the character of modern warfare and homeland defense,” said Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll. “Adversaries are exploiting inexpensive and adaptable drone technology faster than our current acquisition system can handle. Countering this threat requires every element of the U.S. government working together with shared purpose and unity of effort.”
The discussion underscored the need to synchronize efforts across agencies. JIATF-401 leadership provided an update on the task force’s establishment, outlined near-term priorities, and emphasized collaboration in testing, operations and training.
“Countering drones is not just a battlefield problem — it’s a homeland defense imperative,” said Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401. “Our goal is to integrate sensors, effectors and mission command systems into a responsive, interoperable network that protects servicemembers and American citizens alike. Together with our interagency partners, we will maintain the initiative and ensure our organizations can detect, track and defeat UAS threats.”
JIATF-401 is operationally focused on small drones that threaten U.S. forces, infrastructure and critical facilities. Its mission focuses on three lines of effort: defending the homeland, supporting warfighter lethality and joint force training.
“JIATF-401 exists to make our collective, whole-of-government response more effective,” said Brig. Gen. Ross. “This is the defining challenge of our time — the drone threat is evolving faster than any other, and no single agency can solve it alone. Our measure of success is simple: deliver state-of-the-art counter-UAS capabilities quickly to the warfighter, at home and abroad.”
The task force aims to develop a counter-UAS marketplace for capability sharing, an authoritative data set for testing and evaluation, and a forum for interagency collaboration. JIATF-401 will also continue to support the National Security Council’s initiatives under the Task Force to Restore American Airspace Sovereignty.
The meeting concluded with a commitment from interagency leaders to support a future JIATF-401-led interagency summit later this month.
About JIATF-401
JIATF 401 is the Department of War’s lead organization to counter sUAS. JIATF 401 synchronizes counter-UAS efforts across the DoW, rapidly delivering joint capabilities at scale to defend the homeland, protect US and allied forces, defend critical infrastructure, and assist federal agencies. The task force has a global focus and is a multifaceted organization leading DoW counter-UAS activities at the nexus of OSW, the Joint Staff, Combatant Commands and the Services. The JIATF is innovative, scalable and threat adaptive. Its sole focus is to quickly deliver state-of-the-art counter-UAS capabilities to warfighters at home and abroad.
By Lt. Col. Adam Scher