DASA Patrick Mason spotlights the UAS/CUAS marketplace to bolster hemispheric security

Doral, Florida — The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation, Patrick Mason, met with U.S. Southern Command Commander General Francis Donovan to advance defense modernization efforts and security cooperation across the Western Hemisphere, with a focus on the Army’s new Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Counter-UAS Marketplace.

Positioned as a flagship initiative of the Secretary of the Army, with DASA (DEC) leading Foreign Military Sales implementation, the marketplace is an online purchasing platform intended to streamline and accelerate the traditional FMS process. Selected international partners can rapidly acquire and field aerial and counter‑aerial capabilities, with initial invitations extended in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. Argentina and Panama have accepted to date, and a second round of invitations is expected in the coming months.

“Our goal with the UAS/Counter-UAS Marketplace is to speed up the delivery of highly interoperable systems to our allies when they need it,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation Patrick Mason. “By establishing an agile, user-friendly platform, the U.S. Army is empowering our partners in the Western Hemisphere to acquire critical, life-saving defense technology at the speed of relevance. In support of General Donovan and our colleagues at SOUTHCOM, we are synchronizing and aligning regional security imperatives, bolstering collective defense capabilities, and delivering modernized systems more efficiently.”

The initiative aligns with the SOUTHCOM Commander’s Imperatives to develop and field cost‑effective, modernized forces. By leveraging autonomous and counter‑autonomous systems, it aims to enhance regional domain awareness, lethality, and data sharing among allies and partners. It also supports the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition by equipping partner nations with tools to counter sophisticated transnational criminal threats and secure key terrain.

“Modern challenges require modernized partnerships, and the UAS/C-UAS Marketplace is a game-changer for how we support our partners,” said General Donovan. “In our fight against regional security threats and transnational criminal organizations, speed and interoperability are key. This initiative gives our partners the rapid-acquisition capabilities they need to protect their sovereign borders and collaborate on shared security objectives. The integration of these tools into our strategic plan is exactly how we deliver on our commitment to a secure, stable, and sovereign Western Hemisphere.”

While at SOUTHCOM headquarters, Mason and his delegation held consultations with the Strategy, Policy, and Plans directorate, the Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere Commander, and the Foreign Policy Advisor to refine security cooperation frameworks. The sessions focused on how the Army Security Assistance Enterprise can tailor support to the A3C’s counter‑cartel efforts and the combatant commander’s vision for regional burden‑sharing.

Following the visit, Mason is scheduled to meet Argentina’s minister of defense to sign a Letter of Offer and Acceptance for 300 Stryker fighting vehicles, underscoring Argentina’s role as an early adopter of the marketplace and marking a major step in partner‑nation modernization and mobility.

The Army plans to broaden the marketplace model to include a wider range of capabilities and technology domains in the near future.