Articles, Interviews & Whitepapers

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.

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!

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.