Global government spending on counter-UAS systems reached US$29 billion in the first quarter of 2026, according to Unmanned Airspace analysis published this week. The two largest contracts were the US Army’s US$20 billion ten-year award to Anduril for its AI-enabled Lattice C-UAS suite and Poland’s US$4.2 billion SAN CUAS border drone wall programme with Kongsberg and PGZ. NATO’s PURL programme allocated US$38 billion to Ukraine support for 2026, with US$2 billion for air defence. JIATF 401, the Pentagon’s joint C-UAS task force, spent over US$20 million on counter-drone capabilities at the US-Mexico border alone, and is flowing funding to 11 cities for 2026 FIFA World Cup protection. The race to develop AI-based layered C-UAS systems capable of identifying drone threats and selecting from a range of mitigation technologies is now a primary driver of both military and critical infrastructure security procurement, with direct implications for police and border security counter-drone budgets across NATO members.
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Monday, April 27, 2026