Department of War accelerates counter-UAS deployment to protect US airspace

The Department of War issued a new memorandum today aimed at speeding the lawful, safe, and effective deployment of counter-unmanned aircraft systems across the enterprise, directing leaders to remove delays that hold up capabilities for forces, installations, and assets.

Titled “Accelerating Employment of Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems to Protect American Airspace Sovereignty,” the policy reframes slow approvals as an operational risk and instructs officials to leverage prior approvals, test data, and existing risk mitigations to fast-track comparable decisions. It also encourages interim, conditional, or time-bound approvals when testing indicates low or manageable risk.

Under the directive, any denial of a c-UAS employment request must be documented with a rationale and sent to Joint Interagency Task Force-401 (JIATF-401). Each approval barrier must have a named owner, timeline, and escalation path. If an approval authority fails to act within 30 days, the requestor will notify the office of the Secretary of War.

The memorandum focuses on four recurring barriers that have slowed fielding:

– Authorities to operate: Within 30 days, the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, in coordination with the Department of War Chief Information Officer (CIO) and other organizations, will stand up a single department-wide c-UAS approval process designed to cut timelines for tested, validated systems from months to days or weeks.

– Spectrum certification and frequency: The CIO will review the current spectrum-request process and recommend ways to speed decisions. The Department will also support the Defense Innovation Unit’s Project Spectrum Strike, an automated, AI-driven software effort intended to coordinate, authorize, and deconflict U.S. government radio spectrum use while incorporating c-UAS spectrum-management needs.

– Weapons safety: Services will avoid repeating weapons safety reviews for identical systems, configurations, and use cases unless a material change introduces new risk. JIATF-401 will align c-UAS weapons safety reviews with the Unmanned Systems Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager.

– Legal reviews: Required legal reviews for c-UAS weapons and weapon systems will be expedited, generally within 10 days after receipt of necessary information, and completed reviews will be shared across components to support timely, consistent outcomes.

The directive underscores that it does not modify existing policies or procedures for operational c-UAS use, including activities under 10 U.S.C. § 130i, and it does not authorize violations of law or any compromise to public or Service member safety.