Background

JIATF-401 (Joint Interagency Task Force 401) is the Pentagon unit responsible for coordinating US counter-drone operations across all military services. It serves as both the operational authority for Counter-UAS doctrine and the institutional home for Anduril's Lattice platform. On 6 July 2026 JIATF-401 issued AeroVironment a second matched $500 million Domestic Shield IDIQ alongside an $80.5 million Titan task order, worth $580.5 million in a single day and following Perennial Autonomy's May Merops IDIQ award. The pattern shows JIATF-401 spreading counter-drone procurement across multiple vendors rather than concentrating it in one.

The Army's $87 million first task order under the $20 billion Lattice enterprise vehicle was issued through JIATF-401 in March 2026. The unit also manages the Drone Dominance programme's competitive Gauntlet trials, running the live Counter-UAS red team that will attempt to shoot down vendor drones in Gauntlet II (August 2026) using GPS jamming, communications denial, and electronic warfare.

This dual role, operating the c-UAS platform while also testing the attack drones it must defeat, gives JIATF-401 unique influence over both sides of Pentagon drone procurement.

Common Questions

What is JIATF-401 Pentagon counter-drone?

JIATF-401 is the Pentagon's Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Task Force, the primary unit for Counter-UAS operations. It received the first $87 million task order designating Anduril's Lattice as the DoD-wide counter-drone platform.Source: DefenseScoop

JIATF-401 Drone Dominance Gauntlet II red team?

JIATF-401 will operate a live Counter-UAS red team at Drone Dominance Gauntlet II in August 2026, using GPS jamming, communications denial, and electronic warfare to eliminate vendors whose drones cannot survive contested environments.

JIATF-401 Anduril Lattice $87 million contract?

The Army awarded JIATF-401 an $87 million task order in March 2026, the first order under Anduril's $20 billion enterprise contract vehicle, designating Lattice as the DoD-wide Counter-UAS command platform.Source: DefenseScoop

What did JIATF-401 award AeroVironment in July 2026?

On 6 July 2026 JIATF-401 issued AeroVironment a second $500 million Domestic Shield IDIQ plus an $80.5 million Titan task order, worth $580.5 million in a single day, following Perennial Autonomy's May Merops IDIQ.

How the World Sees Them

NATO allies

JIATF-401's Lattice deployment sets a de facto interoperability standard. NATO members operating alongside US forces on counter-drone missions will face pressure to integrate with or align to Lattice's data architecture.

United States

JIATF-401's designation as the Gauntlet II evaluator creates a direct feedback loop between operational counter-drone experience and procurement decisions, ensuring only proven survivable systems advance to mass production.