Mike Torphy

Mr. Torphy has led the FBI's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Counter-UAS (C-UAS) programs since 2021 and now directs its new Unmanned Aviation Section, with nationwide responsibility for UAS and C-UAS operations, training, policy, and interagency coordination. He has overseen more than 100 C-UAS operations nationwide. He authored the FBI's first comprehensive C-UAS Policy Guide and founded and directs the National Counter-UAS Training Center (NCUTC) at Redstone Arsenal, created in direct execution of Executive Order 14305 as the nation's first standardized C-UAS training and certification program for state and local law enforcement system operators.

In July 2025, Mr. Torphy testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on the accelerating domestic UAS threat and the urgent need to expand statutory C-UAS authorities for law enforcement. That testimony and sustained congressional and interagency engagement contributed to passage of the SAFER SKIES Act, which extended C-UAS authority to state and local law enforcement for the first time in U.S. history. He now leads the FBI's implementation of the Act, drafting the Interim Final Rule that establishes the framework for state and local counter-UAS operations and architecting the Federal C-UAS Coordination Portal that state and local agencies use to coordinate their operations. He also joins senior FBI executives in White House National Security Council deliberations on C-UAS policy.

Mr. Torphy directed the FBI's role as the U.S. Government's lead for C-UAS incident response across the eleven U.S. venues of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and has been featured by Bloomberg, Fox News, NBC News, NPR, and other national outlets for his leadership of the FBI's counter-drone mission.

Mr. Torphy brings a singular combination of expertise across the operational, technical, policy, and legal dimensions of the C-UAS mission. A Part 61-certificated private pilot and a Part 107-certificated remote pilot with hundreds of flight hours supporting FBI operations, he regularly represents the FBI at national and international C-UAS forums.

Over more than 23 years of FBI service, Mr. Torphy has led aviation operations in the Los Angeles Field Office, managed enterprise technology initiatives at FBI Headquarters, directed the FBI's Civil Aviation Security Program, and conducted national security and criminal investigations in Portland and New York. He resides in Huntsville, Alabama.