Pentagon selects five US military sites for directed-energy counter-drone pilot under FY2026 NDAA

The US Department of War announced on 7 May that JIATF 401 has selected five military installations for the directed-energy counter-UAS pilot programme mandated by the FY2026 NDAA. The programme is part of JIATF 401’s mandate to streamline counter-drone acquisition with expanded authorities up to $50 million. State and local law enforcement received expanded counter-drone authorities under the Safer Skies Act signed in December 2025.

In this domain: Police drone programmes creating AI surveillance and FRT governance gap as FEMA and DHS funding expands aerial infrastructure ahead of policy · South Korea: Kia PV5 police electric van integrates roof-mounted drone, thermal imaging and real-time AI crowd identification — pilot June 2026 · Counter-drone procurement hits inflection point as $500M FEMA grant round opens and SAFER SKIES regulations near