By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill
(Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of stories on efforts to establish new counter-UAS protocols in the U.S. to protect high-profile sporting events and critical infrastructure from the potential threats posed by drones flown by careless or hostile actors. This story will focus on the challenges faced by officials in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in developing counter-UAS operations to protect World Cup-related events in their region.)
Massachusetts, which will host seven matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026, will divvy up approximately $21.2 million in federal grant money for counter-UAS operations among three recipients: the Massachusetts State Police, the Boston Police Department and the Foxborough Police Department.
The funds are part of a $250 million grant, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is awarding to cities hosting events associated with the World Cup tournament and America’s 250th birthday celebration. The money is earmarked to be used to support training, personnel and equipment to protect against the security risks created by the malicious use of drones.
Under the grant program, administered by the Massachusetts Office of Grants and Research (OGR), the Boston PD will receive almost half the available funds, almost $11 million, while the State Police will receive almost $6.8 million, and the Foxborough PD will get about $3.5 million.
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, which will be known as Boston Stadium during World Cup events, will be the site of seven matches during the world-renowned soccer event, including two knockout games in the latter stages of the tournament.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be a highlight of an exciting year in Massachusetts, and we are committed to ensuring that everyone can enjoy the event safely,” Governor Maura Healey said in an OGR press statement. “These grants will help state and local police agencies bolster security, training and equipment to keep residents and visitors safe throughout the games and surrounding celebrations.”
The three police agencies are expected to use the FEMA funding to purchase UAS detection and tracking technologies to protect the World Cup sites from the potential dangers posed by drones flown by bad actors.
“Large-venue security is a critical element of our homeland security programs, and these grants will help ensure that residents and visitors are able to safely enjoy the World Cup games and other large-scale events,” said OGR Executive Director Kevin Stanton.
Grant Recipients Facing Multiple Challenges
Designing a coordinated counter-UAS effort to protect the thousands of fans expected to flock to the World Cup events in the area is going to present huge logistical challenges for the three police agencies. To begin with “Boston Stadium,” is not in the city of Boston.
Gillette Stadium, the home of NFL’s New England Patriots (NFL) and Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution (MLS) is located about 27 miles southwest of the Boston city center. Secondly, less than six months before the World Cup events in the area are set to get under way in early June, organizers have not yet determined a location for where the official World Cup Fan Festival would be held.
According to a report on World Cup readiness, released last week by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the location of the Fan Festival “a key component to the fan experience and celebration” and the “primary public viewing event,” has not been selected.
“While the state does not have a role in committing to a location, it does have a role in planning to deliver a safe and secure environment for the selected location. Until the location is identified, planning, coordination and preparation is limited and projected costs may need to be updated once a location is finalized,” the report states.
Selecting a Fan Festival site also is likely to be a big factor in decisions regarding the types of counter-UAS equipment to be purchased and its placement.
Ensuring that their personnel are trained in the use of counter-UAS equipment, particularly in drone-mitigation equipment designed to bring down rogue drones, is another key factor for the three police agencies to contend with.
According to FEMA, “Funds for C-UAS mitigation capabilities (e.g., kinetic or non-kinetic technologies used to disable, destroy, or seize control of UAS during flight) may only be authorized for law enforcement or correctional agencies with personnel who have been trained or are scheduled to be trained at the FBI National Counter-UAS Training Center (NCUTC).”
In addition, FEMA stipulates drone-mitigation technologies procured through the grant program “including radio frequency systems, kinetic systems, and advanced detection, tracking, and identification systems,” must be consistent with the technological capabilities of the equipment the FBI uses in its training.
In the OGR statement, Massachusetts Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina Kwon stressed the need for collaboration across all the region’s public service agencies that will be involved in the development of counter-UAS systems to protect people and property at World Cup events from threats posed by nefariously operated drones.
“This investment will strengthen our operational capabilities, from personnel to technology, so law enforcement can respond quickly and effectively,” Kwon said. “These grants ensure state and local partners are equipped to safeguard residents and visitors during major events like the World Cup.”
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Jim Magill is a Houston-based writer with almost a quarter-century of experience covering technical and economic developments in the oil and gas industry. After retiring in December 2019 as a senior editor with S&P Global Platts, Jim began writing about emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robots and drones, and the ways in which they’re contributing to our society. In addition to DroneLife, Jim is a contributor to Forbes.com and his work has appeared in the Houston Chronicle, U.S. News & World Report, and Unmanned Systems, a publication of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
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