Drones are increasingly prevalent in public settings across the U.S. In fact, the drone industry in the states has grown to $6.39 billion in 2024. One place where drones pose a significant threat to American citizens is densely populated urban areas. Responding to these drone threats requires the foresight to educate the population on flying drones, proper counter UAS (CUAS) measures, and cohesion amongst several long enforcement.

DJ Smith is the CUAS Systems Program Coordinator for the Virginia State Police, and in his role he has a wealth of experience in responding to drone incursions. During the CUAS Summit, Smith will participate in a panel discussion on challenges and solutions for counter-drone operations in urban areas. Before the conference, Smith sat down with IDGA to preview his session at the Counter UAS Summit and discuss the work the Virginia State Police is doing to mitigate drone risks in urban areas.

IDGA’s Counter UAS Summit takes place August 27-28 at the Crystal Gateway Marriot in Arlington, Virginia. During the two-day event, high level discussions will be held 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.

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.

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. will attend and speak at IDGA’s Counter UAS Summit this August 27-28 at the Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. 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.

Ahead of the Counter-UAS Summit 2024, the 2024 Attendee Report highlights the leading organizations within the industry and an extensive list of high-level attendees that will be attending this year.

This summit strives to be beneficial for solution providers, as well as attendees from the military and federal administrations alike.

Join us this year to build vital connections and work collaboratively with the wide range of senior and experienced personnel attending from government administrations, the military, and the industry.

The “Confronting UAS and Next Generation Threats” presentation was delivered last year at the Counter UAS Summit and covers;

• Army Rapid Capabilities & Critical Technologies Office Mission
• Modernization Continuum
• Office Governance and Relationships
• Army Response to C-sUAS
• Army Path to Fielding High Energy Laser Weapon Systems
• Army Directed Energy Efforts
• DE M-SHORAD Test Results

The Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technology Office is returning to the Counter UAS Summit this year where Kirklin Williams, Test and Evaluation Lead, Directed Energy Prototype will deliver his presentation on “Harnessing the Power of Direct Energy: Advancement in CUAS Technologies”.

The "U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command: Aviation & Missile Center" presentation was delivered last year at the Counter UAS Summit and covers

• AvMC’S S&T Approach
• S&T Priorities Aligned with the Army Modernization Strategy
• Army C-SUAS S&T Strategy Purpose, Scope, and Framework
• Long-Term Counter-UAS Goals in a Nutshell

DEVCOM is returning to the Counter UAS Summit this year where Jay (Gee) Simmons, Deputy Air & Missile Defense Capability Area Lead, DEVCOM Aviation and Missile Center, U.S. Army will deliver his presentation on Exploring the Role of DEVCOM Aviation and Missile Center in Advancing CUAS.

IDGA's Counter-UAS Summit provides a forum comprised of key decision-makers and senior military leaders for discussions on ways to collaboratively combat the threat of UAS to the United States military and civilians.

Our 2023 Sample Attendee List showcases the industry pioneers and leaders from across the military and government who attended last year's summit.