JIATF‑401 (Joint Interagency Task Force 401) is an Army‑led, interagency DOD task force created in 2025 to consolidate and accelerate counter‑small unmanned aircraft systems (C‑sUAS) capabilities. Its primary responsibilities include rapidly fielding and procuring C‑sUAS equipment, integrating sensors and effects to defend the homeland and U.S. forces overseas, streamlining policy and authorities for C‑sUAS use, coordinating joint training, and serving as the DoD focal point for C‑sUAS acquisition/fielding and interagency coordination (with a 36‑month review/sunset).
The FBI’s National Counter‑UAS (NCUTC) Training Center at Redstone Arsenal (Huntsville) provides hands‑on instruction and certification for federal, state, local, tribal and territorial law‑enforcement and security personnel to detect, assess and mitigate UAS threats; courses cover C‑sUAS technologies, sensor employment, legal/operational authorities, incident response and exercises for large events. The center opened in 2025 to prepare partners for major events and national security missions.
"Counter‑small unmanned aircraft systems" (counter‑sUAS or C‑sUAS) refers to tools, tactics and systems that detect, track, identify and defeat small drones—addressing threats such as hostile surveillance, smuggling, harassment, attacks (including explosives), interference with critical infrastructure and mass‑gatherings. C‑sUAS capabilities include radar/EO/IR sensors, radio frequency (RF) detection, cyber/forensic tools, jamming, spoofing and physical/kinetic defeat systems.
Typical steps when agencies ‘‘solidify a strategic alliance’’ include formalized joint training and exercises, information‑sharing agreements, interoperable tactics/procedures, joint operational planning, combined exercises and liaison exchanges, coordinated procurement or shared fielding of equipment, and joint doctrine/policy development to enable integrated responses.
Military–FBI cooperation in domestic airspace typically focuses on information‑sharing, training and support roles; DOD may provide technical expertise, equipment and training while the FBI and law enforcement lead domestic response and law‑enforcement actions. Direct military law‑enforcement operations in U.S. domestic airspace are constrained by law and policy; cooperation usually emphasizes shared situational awareness, coordinated authorities, and use of civilian lead agencies for on‑scene response unless specific authorities permit DOD action.
Huntsville/Redstone Arsenal hosts the FBI NCUTC because the area has extensive aerospace, missile and defense infrastructure, nearby DOD test ranges and technical partners (e.g., Army aviation, Redstone test ranges and industry/academic communities), plus existing logistics and secure ranges that support realistic C‑sUAS training and interagency collaboration.
Yes. Military–FBI cooperation on domestic C‑sUAS is governed by statutes and policies that limit DOD domestic law‑enforcement activity (Posse Comitatus and related DoD directives), require civilian law‑enforcement lead for domestic incidents, and use memoranda of understanding, interagency agreements, and oversight (Congressional review, DOJ/FBI policy, and DoD directives) to define roles, authorities, and permissible support. Specific C‑sUAS efforts also follow agency legal counsel and established agreements before operational support is provided.