The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has issued awards totaling $250 million ahead of the FIFA World Cup to keep the skies safe from unmanned vehicles. The funds come from the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program, first introduced in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
The program helps combat illegal use of unmanned aerial vehicles, otherwise known as drones. It prioritizes the identification, tracking and mitigation of unlawful drone threats.
The total amount authorized through the One Big Beautiful Bill is $500 million, to be distributed in fiscal year (FY) 2026 and FY 2027. The first half is dedicated to states that are hosting National Special Security Events (NSSEs) or Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) 1 or 2 events. These include jurisdictions hosting FIFA World Cup events and America 250 events.
Grant funds support detection, identification, monitoring, tracking and mitigation technologies. Detection systems include radio frequency sensors that scan for communication signals between drones and their controllers, specialized radar capable of tracking small aircraft in all weather conditions, acoustic sensors that identify drone sound signatures and electro-optical cameras with AI-powered recognition software.
Mitigation equipment that can disable or neutralize threatening drones is restricted to law enforcement agencies whose personnel have completed training at the FBI’s National Counter-UAS Training Center in Huntsville, Alabama. These tools include radio frequency jammers that sever the communication link between a drone and its operator and cyber takeover systems that can redirect unauthorized aircraft to safe landing zones.
The 11 states and the National Capital Region receiving FY 2026 awards are:
- $34.5 million – California
- $30.2 million – Texas
- $12.5 million – Pennsylvania
- $14.2 million – Missouri
- $17.7 million – New York
- $19.5 million – Washington
- $20.3 million – Georgia
- $21.7 million – New Jersey
- $21.9 million – Massachusetts
- $22.6 million – Florida
- $28.2 million – District of Columbia on behalf of D.C., Maryland and Virginia
- $5.3 million – Kansas
The remaining $250 million will be distributed in FY 2027 to all 56 states and territories with an expanded focus on building nationwide detection and response capacity.
Federal officials say drone threats have intensified in recent years. The NFL has documented more than 2,000 drone incursions per season for each of the past three years into restricted airspace around its stadiums. FEMA Acting Administrator Karen S. Evans called the awards the fastest non-disaster grant program ever executed by the agency, with funds distributed just 25 days after the application deadline.
Photo by Eric Santoyo from Pexels
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