WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Army awarded 10 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts for counter-unmanned aerial systems on September 29, 2026. The total ceiling value of the 10 new IDIQ contracts is $4.15 billion. These contracts are part of an effort with a total ceiling of $7 billion.

Approximately $50 million was obligated at the time of the contract awards. The contracts cover systems to disable or destroy unmanned aerial drones, including command-and-control systems, sensors, and weapons. These agreements support the Pentagon’s Domestic Shield program, which aims to protect U.S. military installations and critical infrastructure from small drone threats.

Allen Control Systems received a $500 million base award. Digital Force Technologies received a $500 million base award. Napatree Technology received a $500 million base award.

Brig. Gen. Matthew Ross is the director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401. Col. Tony Lindh is the lead for rapid acquisitions at Joint Interagency Task Force 401. Brent Ingraham is the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology.

"There’s no silver bullet. I think at times in the past, people thought that we could just down-select to a really good counter-UAS capability and give one to everybody. What we’ve seen is that there is no single solution," Ross said.

Ross noted the availability of these contract vehicles facilitates spending execution. "These contracts are available to everybody. And so what we've seen across the department is a surge of end-of-year requests for procurement," he said.

"End-of-year spending is nothing new inside of the department, but when you have an available contract vehicle, it makes it really easy to execute. And so, we've seen that from across the services."

Ingraham discussed international interest in the procurement model. "About 10 days ago, Australia successfully procured, in this case, it was a UAS off the drones.mil marketplace. We still have to use the foreign military sales process as we go through this marketplace. But…we've automated the tools on the back end," he said.

"When they see the U.S. military buying certain products, they're all in. And so this is a way to share those technologies, share what we're doing."

The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) was established in August 2025 with a 36-month sunset review period, as outlined in a Department of Defense directive to centralize counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) efforts and replace the Joint Counter-sUAS Office (JCO). In June 2026, JIATF-401 awarded a $13.8 million contract for unmanned aircraft system detection and mitigation capabilities to support the U.S. Southern Border. The Army’s unmanned aircraft systems marketplace has facilitated approximately $800 million in transactions since its launch in 2026.

Congress extended fiscal year 2026 appropriation levels until mid-December 2026 via a continuing resolution after failing to pass a budget for fiscal year 2027. Full funding of the new counterdrone contracts depends on congressional approval of defense spending.

Why It Matters

The awards provide a range of options from sensors to effectors, emphasizing competition and adaptability to emerging requirements. The availability of contract vehicles facilitates end-of-year spending execution across the department.

Timeline

Statements issued on September 29, 2026, included remarks that "these vehicles we awarded yesterday span a range of counter-UAS capabilities — from sensors to effectors to C2 systems. They really give us options as newer requirements emerge. The Army wants competition. The JIATF-401 team wants competition. We want to bring better technology forward every day, and we don’t want to be locked into a single vendor as that threat evolves," and that "these platforms are software-defined, hardware-enabled systems…so we have to be able to partner with industry and then hold them accountable over time." Additional comments noted that "about 10 days ago, Australia successfully procured, in this case, it was a UAS off the drones.mil marketplace. We still have to use the foreign military sales process as we go through this marketplace. But…we've automated the tools on the back end," and that "there’s no silver bullet. I think at times in the past, people thought that we could just down-select to a really good counter-UAS capability and give one to everybody. What we’ve seen is that there is no single solution." Another statement declared, "as of today we have awarded over $5 billion, which includes previous contracts with Aerovironment and CACI, these 10 new IDIQs and others that we expect to sign before the end of next month. The $7 billion ceiling is in full effect today, and additional contracts will be pursued to get us to that point."

What's New

Further details revealed that JIATF-401 had previously awarded over $5 billion in contracts, including agreements with AeroVironment and CACI, before the September 2026 IDIQ awards, as stated in a statement from the task force’s leadership. The Army’s unmanned aircraft systems marketplace has facilitated approximately $800 million in transactions since its launch in 2026, serving as a precedent for the success of similar procurement models. In June 2026, JIATF-401 awarded a $13.8 million contract for unmanned aircraft system detection and mitigation capabilities to support the U.S. Southern Border, demonstrating prior investment in border security applications of counter-drone technology.

Additional commentary included the observation that "these vehicles we awarded yesterday span a range of counter-UAS capabilities — from sensors to effectors to C2 systems. They really give us options as newer requirements emerge. The Army wants competition. The JIATF-401 team wants competition. We want to bring better technology forward every day, and we don’t want to be locked into a single vendor as that threat evolves," and that "there’s no silver bullet. I think at times in the past, people thought that we could just down-select to a really good counter-UAS capability and give one to everybody. What we’ve seen is that there is no single solution."

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on who have awarded contracts. Tony Lindh stated, "As of today we have awarded over $5 billion, which includes previous contracts with Aerovironment and CACI, these 10 new IDIQs and others that we expect to sign before the end of next month. The $7 billion ceiling is in full effect today," while energy.gov reported that JIATF-401 had previously awarded over $5 billion in contracts, including agreements with AeroVironment and CACI, before the September 2026 IDIQ awards, as stated in a statement from the task force’s leadership.

Sources differ on who we awarded contracts to. Brent Ingraham said, "These vehicles we awarded yesterday span a range of counter-UAS capabilities — from sensors to effectors to C2 systems. The Army wants competition. The JIATF-401 team wants competition," while the U.S. Army contract award announcement stated the U.S. Army awarded 10 indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contracts for counter-unmanned aerial systems on September 29, 2026.