CUAS Resource Center

As the threat posed by uncrewed aerial systems continues to evolve, counter‑UAS has become a critical priority for defense, homeland security, and infrastructure protection. This report outlines the five key themes shaping discussion at IDGA's Counter UAS Summit taking place this August at the MGM Hotel & Casino in National Harbor, Maryland.

Download the report to gain:

• A preview of the top topics shaping the 2026 Counter UAS Summit agenda, including CUAS acquisition reform, JIATF 401's role, layered defense strategies, and emerging technologies.
• Insight into what federal leaders, operators, and industry experts will be discussing on stage, from FAA and DHS authority updates to lessons learned from overseas conflicts and domestic protection challenges.
  

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, the 2025 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 highlights the key themes of the summit, shares on-site survey results, and provides testimonials from attendees.

Interested in seeing who attended the IDGA 2025 Counter UAS Summit? 

Take a look at the attendee snapshot, featuring the senior thought leaders from the US Department of Defense, US Army, US Navy, USMC, US Air Force, DHS, CBP, FBI, FAA, local law enforcement, and industry representatives, who joined us in 2025, many of whom are expected to return in 2026!

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

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 IDGA’s 2025 Counter UAS Summit and the World Cup, G.B. sat down with IDGA to discuss how his team is preparing for UAS threats and how they plan to mitigate them.

Recent global conflicts have underscored the widespread use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in military scenarios. 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. 

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

This rapid proliferation of UAS has introduced new threats, which 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. 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.