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Pentagon

Hegseth Directs New Army-Led Task Force To Centralize DoD’s Counter-UAS Efforts

By Cal Biesecker

Friday, August 29th, 2025

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Hegseth Directs New Army-Led Task Force To Centralize DoD’s Counter-UAS Efforts

Epirus' trailer-mounted Leonidas high-power microwave counter-drone system. Photo: Epirus

The Pentagon on Thursday evening said it is standing up a new Army-led joint task force that will focus the Defense Department counter-drone efforts and report to the deputy defense secretary to centralize oversight and accelerate delivery of these capabilities to keep ahead of rapidly evolving threats from small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier greenlit the new Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) 401 with authorities for requirements, acquisition, and hiring (Defense Daily, July 3, 2025).…

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