The Department of Homeland Security is opening its counter-drone wallet. Procurement documents posted August 4, 2026, show DHS has divided up to $1.5 billion in indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) counter-UAS awards across 14 vendors — a response to what the agency itself calls lagging drone-defense skills.
Two Tracks, One Big Buy
Track one, worth just over $1 billion, funds hardware, software and ancillary services from seven providers including Fortem Technologies, D-Fend Solutions and CACI International. Track two, capped near $500 million, buys "comprehensive services" — system integration, R&D and fully managed counter-UAS operations — from Anduril, Booz Allen Hamilton and GDIT, among others. Only Leidos and BAE Systems appear on both tracks. The buy will run through 2031.
What DHS Wants From These Systems
Per its statement of work, DHS wants systems that can detect a UAS at a minimum range of 2 km, track at least three simultaneously and mitigate threats out to 500 meters — plus documented testing, training, installation and maintenance. Vendors will convene with DHS in the coming weeks to align interoperability requirements.
Behind the Push
Secretary Markwayne Mullin conceded to Congress in June that DHS has spent heavily on offensive drone capability but "needs improvement" on the defensive side. Pedro Allende, DHS under secretary for science and technology, told a Commercial Drone Alliance event that "everything from layered defenses and arrest jamming to take-over to kinetic" is on the table. A further $250 million round is scheduled for FY2027 to bolster state and local drone detection.
See related coverage of AeroVironment's Army drone contract, Palantir's Pentagon deal and the Hanwha ARION-SMET rollout.
Reporting based on coverage from FedScoop and USAspending.gov.