Defense Technology News – The Department of War, working through Joint Interagency Task Force 401, has rolled out enhancements to its counter-unmanned aerial system marketplace, an online platform designed to help military units, domestic law enforcement agencies, and international allies more easily find, evaluate, and purchase vetted counter-drone technology.
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C-UAS Marketplace – A Faster Path from Discovery to Procurement
The upgraded platform, built in partnership with Kaizen Laboratories, is meant to help users quickly zero in on proven counter-drone solutions rather than sorting through scattered vendor claims. The improvements make it easier for authorized users to search available technologies based on their specific operational needs, review validated performance data tied to each product, and move through a streamlined purchasing process once they've identified a fit.
Officials Describe the Counter-Drone Technology Marketplace's Purpose
U.S. Army Maj. Mike Hapner, who leads the C-UAS marketplace effort for JIATF-401, said the task force remains focused on getting the right counter-drone capabilities into the hands of the right users at the right time.
He described the platform as a way to create a trusted, streamlined pathway — built through partnership with industry — that lets the joint force, domestic law enforcement, and international partners rapidly discover and acquire validated technologies.
C-UAS Tied Into Foreign Military Sales
Beyond domestic use, the marketplace also plugs directly into the Secretary of the Army's Foreign Military Sales Fast Lane initiative, an effort designed to speed up how quickly allied nations can acquire American-made defense technology. By integrating with existing acquisition pathways, the marketplace helps accelerate requirements development and shorten the often lengthy timelines associated with foreign military sales.
Under this process, industry partners submit their counter-drone products for consideration in the FMS Fast Lane. From there, JIATF-401 works alongside the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation to evaluate and pre-clear qualifying products for foreign military sale — a step intended to ensure validated capabilities can be integrated smoothly across the joint force as well as partner and allied militaries.
C-UAS : Responding to a Growing Drone Threat
Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, who directs JIATF-401, framed the marketplace expansion as a direct response to how quickly the drone threat landscape is evolving. He described drones as one of the defining threats of the current era, pointing to the rapid proliferation of small unmanned systems and the risks they pose to both critical infrastructure and defense-critical assets.
According to Ross, addressing that threat requires the department to move faster, which is precisely why the marketplace is being expanded — to make it easier to share best practices and equipment on a global scale.
Part of a Broader Collaboration Strategy
The marketplace fits into JIATF-401's wider push to deepen collaboration across government agencies, private industry, and allied nations. By offering a shared platform built around validated, performance-tested capabilities, the task force aims to help users make better-informed acquisition decisions while cutting down the time it takes to respond to fast-changing drone threats.
How the C-UAS Platform Fits Into the Bigger Picture
This expansion reflects a broader trend across the Department of War: treating counter-drone capability not as a niche specialty, but as a core, rapidly scaling requirement across military, law enforcement, and allied defense communities.
As drone technology becomes cheaper and more widely accessible to potential adversaries, officials suggest platforms like this one will play an increasingly central role in how the U.S. and its partners stay ahead of the threat — turning what used to be a slow, fragmented procurement process into a faster, more coordinated one.
The C-UAS marketplace itself is accessible online, giving authorized military, law enforcement, and allied users a single point of entry to explore and acquire vetted counter-drone systems going forward.
Source – Department of War