Joint Interagency Task Force 401

The US Department of Defense has established the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems (DRPM-UxS) to consolidate oversight of most military drone programs. The office aims to accelerate drone technology development and procurement, excluding exceptions like the Air Force's CCA program. It will manage systems including drones, boats, ground robots, and counter-drone technologies.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth established the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems (DRPM-UxS) to consolidate Pentagon drone and autonomous systems programs under a single office reporting to Deputy Secretary Stephen Feinberg. The office oversees development, acquisition, and deployment of unmanned systems across all domains, excluding major defense acquisition programs, and inherits a $53.6 billion budget for autonomous drone platforms.

The US Army tested a modified Tactical Resupply Vehicle (TRV 150) drone equipped with a three-shot rocket launcher firing 70mm rockets at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Survice Engineering, the drone's manufacturer, self-funded the experiment to expand battlefield capabilities for lower command echelons, while the Pentagon aims to accelerate drone development through initiatives like the Joint Interagency Task Force 401.

Poland has joined the Pentagon's counter-drone marketplace initiative alongside Australia and South Korea, expanding a program designed to accelerate military technology procurement for U.S. allies. The move comes despite the Army's unexpected cancellation of a planned rotational deployment to Poland earlier this year, which has drawn criticism from Congress concerned about the message sent to NATO allies amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Pentagon awarded Perennial Autonomy, a California-based startup, a $500 million contract for counter-drone technology including AI-enabled systems like Merops interceptors and Bumblebee quadcopters. The contract, awarded by the Joint Interagency Task Force 401, supports the U.S. military's defense against drone threats, particularly Iranian Sheheds, as part of the broader Drone Dominance initiative.

The U.S. Army is developing tactics and technologies to counter and deploy drone swarms through Project Flytrap, a multinational exercise held in Lithuania involving nearly 1,000 personnel. Soldiers are learning to detect threats from multiple unmanned aircraft simultaneously while the Army integrates 3D printing and new testing standards to rapidly develop counter-drone capabilities.