IDGA’s Counter-UAS Summit returned for the seventh year this August 19-20 in Arlington, Virginia. For two days, members of the Counter-UAS community from across federal and state law enforcement, the U.S. DoD and private industry assembled for important discussions surrounding kinetic and non-kinetic approaches for countering drones, including exploring case studies on specific incidents, insights into the latest innovative CUAS technologies, and the impact of shifting legal authorities.

With over 300 attendees and 22 speakers, this year’s summit proved to be the largest yet, which led to a more diverse event program, expanded networking opportunities, and a heavily trafficked exhibition hall. This post show report will highlight the key themes of the summit, share on-site survey results, and provide testimonials from attendees.

Next year’s Counter UAS Summit is set to return to the Arlington, Virginia area. The conference will look to build on the discussions held this year while also bringing in more speakers to share new case studies, program updates, and more.

See who attended the C-UAS Summit in August, to see who you could be networking with on site in 2026.

This event brings more value than ever, with an increase of attending representatives each year from the DoD, the US Army, US Navy, USMC, US Air Force, DHS, CBP, the FBI, the FAA and local law enforcement.

The emergence of highly capable unmanned aerial systems (UAS), such as drones, has left law enforcement organizations across the U.S. scrambling to establish new procedures and solutions to mitigate risks posed by drone incursions in US airspace.

The Department of Defense (DoD) is one of several federal government agencies that are continually updating their Counter-UAS (C-UAS) procedures. In the case of the DoD, to secure its 450+ bases across the states. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which provides aerospace warning and aerospace command in North America, and the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) are responsible for securing the airspace around military bases.

This report will break down the latest efforts from the DoD to counter drone incursions. Those efforts include:

• NDAA funding
• New C-UAS procedures from NORTHCOM
• DoD department-wide strategy

Recent global conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, have underscored the widespread use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in military scenarios. These systems are not only pivotal in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions but are also playing direct combat roles. Additionally, UAS are revolutionizing various commercial industries, such as infrastructure, logistics, insurance, media, telecommunications, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and retail.

This rapid proliferation of UAS has introduced new threats, such as unauthorized surveillance, privacy breaches, airspace obstruction, and the potential use of drones for carrying destructive payloads. These concerns are particularly pronounced in civilian airspace, where incidents involving drones have surged. From 2021 to 2023, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported over 2,000 drone sightings near U.S. airports, including incidents that required pilots to take evasive actions.

In response to these challenges, there is an urgent need for effective counter-UAS (C-UAS) technology. Countries are increasingly procuring systems for detection, identification, tracking, alerting, jamming, spoofing, and neutralization of rogue drones. The global market for C-UAS technology is expected to quadruple between 2021 and 2031.

The latest visual guide from IDGA outlines how the American Counter-UAS (C-UAS) market is responding to the rise of drones flying in U.S. airspace. The guide provides insights into the following:

• Kinetic vs non-kinetic C-UAS solutions
• C-UAS market size in the U.S.
• FAA No Fly Zones

EDITORS NOTE: This piece has been updated May 29.

In the winter of 2022, a record 1.5 billion people tuned into the FIFA World Cup Final. Additionally, nearly 3.5 million people made the journey to Qatar to watch the games in person, making the tournament one of the most popular sporting experiences in the world.

In 2026 the World Cup will welcome millions more fans to games in 12 cities across North America. One of the individuals responsible for ensuring the safety of both players and fans is G.B. Jones, Chief Safety & Security Officer of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

One of the major threats to security at the World Cup, as well as many major sporting events around the world, is drones. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) such as drones can carry harmful objects, disrupt games, and be hard to detect, all of which GB and his team are aware of before the World Cup begins in June 2026.

Before the World Cup, G.B. attended IDGA’s Counter UAS Summit. Before the event, G.B. sat down with IDGA to discuss how his team is preparing for UAS threats at the World Cup and how they plan to mitigate them.

Recent global conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, have underscored the widespread use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in military scenarios. These systems are not only pivotal in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions but are also playing direct combat roles. Additionally, UAS are revolutionizing various commercial industries, such as infrastructure, logistics, insurance, media, telecommunications, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, and retail.

This rapid proliferation of UAS has introduced new threats, such as unauthorized surveillance, privacy breaches, airspace obstruction, and the potential use of drones for carrying destructive payloads. These concerns are particularly pronounced in civilian airspace, where incidents involving drones have surged. From 2021 to 2023, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported over 2,000 drone sightings near U.S. airports, including incidents that required pilots to take evasive actions. In the first four months of 2024 alone, the FAA recorded 326 drone-related incidents near airplanes, helicopters, and airports, highlighting the growing security risks.

In response to these challenges, there is an urgent need for effective counter-UAS (C-UAS) technology. Countries are increasingly procuring systems for detection, identification, tracking, alerting, jamming, spoofing, and neutralization of rogue drones. The global market for C-UAS technology is expected to quadruple between 2021 and 2031. Notably, integrated defense networks that combine various detection and mitigation technologies are proving more effective than isolated systems, as evidenced by a U.S. Army assessment.

The following report will analyze the currently evolving C-UAS market, examine current trends, technological advancements, and future efforts to address the growing challenges posed by UAS proliferation.

If you are interested in learning more about the C-UAS market, register for IDGA’s C-UAS Summit today. This two-day event, which takes place August 27-28 at the Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, will engage our audience with high level discussions surrounding kinetic and non- kinetic approaches for countering drones, including exploring case studies on specific incidents, insights into the latest innovative CUAS technologies, the impact of shifting legal authorities, and much more.

Review the sponsorship prospectus from IDGA's seventh annual C-UAS Summit.

This edition welcomed an increased level of military and government representatives, including leaders from:

• DoD
• U.S. Army
• DoE
• CISA
• TSA
• U.S. Marine Corps

This prospectus includes:

• Glimpse of our expert 2025 speaker panel
• Attending brands
• Info on sponsor opportunities

Review the 2025 attendee list for IDGA's 7th annual C-UAS Summit. See who attended, and what's in store for 2026.