Pentagon Expands Counter-Drone Authority for Military Bases as Threat Landscape Evolves
The Department of War has released new guidance empowering military installation commanders to take proactive measures against unauthorized drone threats, marking a significant shift in how the U.S. military approaches the growing challenge of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) near critical infrastructure.
Beyond the Fence Line: New Authority for Commanders
In guidance signed December 8, 2025, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has removed previous limitations that restricted defensive actions to installation boundaries, according to executive branch officials. “With this new guidance installation commanders are empowered to address threats as they develop, and the guidance makes clear that unauthorized drone flights are a surveillance threat even before they breach an installation perimeter.”
The Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401), established by the Pentagon in 2025, simultaneously published its “Guide for Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructure” to help installation commanders and local law enforcement implement passive security measures against drone threats. “Countering the drone threat is about more than exquisite systems. You can take steps now to prepare and protect critical infrastructure,” the guide states.
Why now? A January 2026 Department of Defense Inspector General advisory urged immediate action to protect military facilities from drone threats, prompting the updated guidance that translates organizational reform into operational authority. “Drones are a defining threat for our time. Technology is evolving fast, and our policies and c-UAS strategy here at home must adapt to meet this reality,” the IG report warned.
Rapid Response to Southern Border Threats
JIATF 401 hasn’t wasted time putting its mission into action. The task force assessed and validated capability gaps on the southern border in less than 60 days — a process that traditionally takes two or three years — and secured approximately $18 million in counter-sUAS capability slated for delivery to the border this month, military officials confirmed.
“In less than 60 days — a process that traditionally takes two or three years — JIATF-401 assessed and validated capability gaps on the southern border and translated them into the Joint Task Force-Southern Border requirements document vetted through U.S. Northern Command and the services,” according to an Army press release detailing the task force’s first 100 days of operations.
The task force has also consolidated all Department of War counter-sUAS policies into a single document and conducted site assessments at key installations to identify defense gaps, military sources revealed.
Beyond Military Bases: Protecting Civilian Infrastructure
JIATF 401 recognizes that protecting critical infrastructure requires collaboration across government levels. “…a whole-of-government effort to be able to protect our critical infrastructure against the threat of unmanned systems. We’ve got to partner closely with our local law enforcement and other federal, state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement to be able to counter this threat, see it before it starts to manifest and then to defeat it before an attack is successful,” officials explained.
Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, Director of JIATF 401, emphasized that the physical protection guidance applies not just to military installations but to power grids, ports, and public venues including stadiums hosting major international events like the upcoming World Cup.
“Whether it’s a forward operating base, an outdoor concert venue or a stadium hosting the World Cup, the principles of risk assessment and physical protection outlined in this guide remain the same,” Ross noted in a press release.
National Capital Region Monitoring System
The task force is also implementing a collaborative monitoring system in the National Capital Region designed to track sensor data from various agencies, pass information to decision-makers, and coordinate authority for counter-threat operations. The 2026 World Cup has been designated as a priority national special security event for these enhanced protections.
But are we ready? JIATF 401 officials acknowledge the work isn’t complete. “We’re not there yet, but we’re making progress,” one official told Homeland Security Today.
As drone technology continues to evolve and proliferate, the Pentagon’s approach represents a significant pivot from reactive to proactive defense — one that may well become a model for protecting critical infrastructure across both military and civilian sectors in the years ahead.
