New Drone Office Launches Ahead of FIFA World Cup, America’s 250th
With major events coming to the U.S. in 2026 including the FIFA World Cup and the 250th U.S. birthday celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is looking to the skies to enhance security.
DHS launched a new office dedicated to quickly buying and deploying drone technology.
The office is called the DHS Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Its mission is to oversee strategic investments in drone and counter-drone technologies that can outpace evolving threats and tactics.
“Drones represent the new frontier of American air superiority,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. “This will help us continue to secure the border and cripple the cartels, protect our infrastructure, and keep Americans safe as they attend festivities and events during a historic year of America’s 250th birthday and FIFA 2026.”
The office is already operational and is in the process of finalizing a $115 million investment in counter-drone technologies.
“The new Program Executive Office will be taking the threat of hostile drones head-on and innovating ways drones can keep us safe from other threats on the ground, equipping the Department with the technology and expertise we need to keep us Americans safe,” said a DHS news release.
DHS is also fielding proposals for a $1.5 billion contract to facilitate the procurement of drone technologies for use by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigration enforcement.
DHS says it has conducted over 1,500 missions to protect the U.S. from illicit drone activities since 2018.
And the office is just the latest piece of the administration’s focus on drone security.
The administration committed $500 million through the initial counter-drone program in October. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded $250 million in grants to the 11 World Cup host states and the National Capital Region in December.