Federal agencies, state and local officials, and industry innovators gathered in Washington D.C. this week to discuss unlawful use of unmanned aircraft systems. The White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026 co-hosted the “Countering the Threat: CUAS Industry and SLTT Grant Forum” alongside DRONERESPONDERS and the Commercial Drone Alliance, bringing together stakeholders to discuss counter-uncrewed aircraft systems (CUAS) operations and event security.
Their goal? To prepare 11 World Cup host cities to manage airspace security during one of the world’s largest sporting events while building national capacity to detect and respond to drone threats.
The recent budget bill allocated $500 million for CUAS grant funding over two fiscal years, providing communities with resources to combat unlawful drone operations. In fiscal 2026, the Department of Homeland Security will distribute $250 million to jurisdictions hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Olympics, and other major national events. The remaining $250 million will be awarded in FY 2027 to all states and territories, emphasizing broader national detection and response capabilities.
“The $500 million in funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill will help ensure that all eleven host cities are fully prepared and connected in their opportunity to protect their stadiums and cities during the tournament and thereafter,” said Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The forum featured briefings from federal agencies including the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Department of Homeland Security. Topics covered the CUAS grant application process, legal frameworks governing CUAS technology use, FBI training opportunities for operators, and discussions on emerging detection technologies.
Lisa Ellman, Chief Executive Officer of the Commercial Drone Alliance, stated, “The CUAS Industry and SLTT Grant Forum brought together all of the critical stakeholders, from federal to local governments and industry to law enforcement agencies, to bolster our critical collective efforts to enhance the security of our airspace, particularly around high-profile mass gathering events. The industry was able to share opportunities, ask questions, and connect with law enforcement agencies to bolster efforts to protect communities.”
Chief Charles Werner (Ret.), Director of the DRONERESPONDERS Public Safety Alliance, added, “The CUAS Industry and SLTT Grant Forum, co-hosted by the WHTF, DRONERESPONDERS, and the Commercial Drone Alliance, coordinated the sharing of critical information on the CUAS grants available to state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies to protect communities and citizens at major events from drone incursions. Law enforcement agencies were able to connect with the federal government and industry while learning how best to access the grants for the purpose of protecting their jurisdictions.”
About DRONERESPONDERS
DRONERESPONDERS is the leading and largest nonprofit program to advance public safety UAS, CUAS, Airspace Awareness, and Advanced Air Mobility with over 12.5K members and FREE Resources for Public Safety at DRONERESPONDERS.org.
About the Commercial Drone Alliance
The Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA) is a non-profit organization led by key leaders in the commercial drone and drone security industries. The CDA unites a diverse group of stakeholders, including commercial drone end-users, manufacturers, service providers, advanced air mobility companies, and drone security firms.
Learn more at www.commercialdronealliance.org.
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Ian McNabb is a journalist focusing on drone technology and lifestyle content at Dronelife. He is based between Boston and NH and, when not writing, enjoys hiking and Boston area sports.
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