The Pentagon’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) has declared initial operational capability for a new Counter-UAS Marketplace, an online procurement portal designed to speed delivery of validated counter-drone systems to U.S. defense and interagency users.
Hosted on the Common Hardware Systems (CHS) electronic catalog, the marketplace is intended to give authorized users a single place to identify, compare and order counter-UAS equipment that has already been vetted through JIATF-401’s test and evaluation enterprise. The catalog is built on an existing indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract, allowing units to place orders immediately rather than initiating a new, standalone contract action.
According to JIATF-401, the platform will feature a growing inventory of validated systems and components and will be linked to an authoritative performance data repository. That data will let buyers compare systems based on how they perform against different classes of small UAS in varied operating environments, with the goal of shifting counter-drone buys toward evidence-based, threat-driven decisions.
Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF-401, said the marketplace is a key element in the task force’s whole-of-government approach to small UAS threats, aimed at integrating sensors, effectors and command-and-control tools into a more responsive and interoperable defensive network. His team has previously highlighted three core lines of effort for the task force: defending the homeland, supporting warfighter lethality and enabling joint force training, with the marketplace envisioned from the outset as a central mechanism for capability sharing and standardization.
From a user’s perspective, the CHS website provides a web interface where authorized personnel can browse equipment, review technical specifications and compare pre-negotiated contract options under the IDIQ vehicle. Access is available across the Department of Defense and partner agencies via common access cards or other government-issued smart cards. The broader CHS catalog already lists more than 1,600 items, underscoring the capacity to scale as more counter-UAS systems clear testing and are added to the portal.
Importantly for industry, JIATF-401 plans to populate the marketplace with all validated counter-UAS equipment that is not already tied up as a formal program of record. That creates a de facto “approved list” for bases and agencies looking for near-term counter-drone options—and a new channel for vendors whose systems have survived the task force’s test regime to reach operational users without navigating a bespoke procurement.
The marketplace’s launch follows a series of interagency engagements where senior Army and DoD leaders stressed that small UAS are changing the character of warfare and homeland defense faster than traditional acquisition processes can adapt, and that a shared marketplace, common test data and coordinated training are essential to keeping pace.
The move is significant on several fronts. It formalizes a central buying hub for counter-UAS equipment, pushes procurement decisions toward test-backed performance data rather than marketing claims, and gives DoD a lever to drive interoperability across sensors, effectors and battle management systems fielded by different services and agencies. It also raises the bar for manufacturers: to reach many U.S. government customers, counter-drone solutions will increasingly need to be validated by JIATF-401 and visible in the marketplace—tying commercial opportunity directly to demonstrated performance against real threat profiles.
