Joint Interagency Task Force, FBI Deepen Drone Partnership to Bolster National Defense

Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 director, visited the FBI’s National Training Center for counter-small unmanned aircraft systems in Huntsville, Alabama, yesterday to solidify a strategic alliance to protect the nation from unmanned aerial threats.

The visit centered on increasing collaboration between the War Department and the FBI to enhance homeland defense through joint training and the accelerated development of counter-UAS capabilities with federal interagency partners. 

A primary focus of the discussion was enhancing efforts to coordinate security preparations for this summer’s FIFA World Cup. Ross and Mike Torphy, FBI acting assistant section chief for UAS and counter-UAS, spoke with expert instructors who are teaching a specialized course for local law enforcement in each of the tournament’s eleven host cities across the nation. 

“The security of our homeland depends on a seamless, unified defense, and that is only possible through robust interagency collaboration,” Ross said. “The threats we face are shared, so our solutions must be as well. Our work with the FBI, to secure major events like the World Cup against the threat of drones, is a prime example of this strategy in action, but our goal is much broader: to build permanent, integrated [counter]-UAS capabilities across the federal government.” 

This synergy is foundational to building a more resilient national counter-UAS capability and ensuring state and local partners are effectively trained and equipped for any threat.  

Ross thanked Torphy for hosting the productive visit, which underscored the importance of combining JIATF 401′s lessons learned from the battlefield and expertise in joint training with the FBI’s critical law enforcement mission. 

“This is one example of how JIATF 401 is working with partners to enhance our counter-drone efforts,” Ross said. “No single person or agency can take on this task alone. It requires a whole-of-government coordination, and I am grateful that Mr. Torphy and the training center staff are supporting our mission to build a layered defense against the full spectrum of small UAS threats to the homeland.” 

The engagement in Huntsville signifies a deliberate move to formalize and expand the working relationship between the department and federal law enforcement. Future efforts will include the JIATF 401′s Joint Counter-Small UAS University in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, working closely with the FBI’s National Training Center to execute this shared mission.  

This partnership model, focused on joint capability development and shared training, will enhance security for specific events and serve as a blueprint for a more integrated national approach to all counter-UAS threats, Ross added.