The Pentagon is calling for urgently deployable, low-collateral solutions to counter small drone threats around military bases, citing the increasing risk posed by unmanned aerial systems operating near populated areas and critical infrastructure.
In a solicitation released May 5, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), in coordination with the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), invited industry to propose counter-drone technologies that can defeat hostile drones without endangering civilians or infrastructure.
The effort falls under “Replicator 2,” a second phase of the broader Replicator initiative, and aims to transition promising systems to pre-production by next year.
“As drones rapidly evolve from slow, easily identifiable commercial systems operating on known frequencies to faster, custom-built systems, the call for [low-collateral defeat] capabilities is a key effort,” the DIU and JCO said in a joint announcement. “These systems help to minimize risk to friendly forces, civilians, and infrastructure in the homeland and abroad.”
The urgency of the effort follows high-profile drone incursions, including a two-week episode in December 2023 when drones hovered over Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, without effective response. The incident forced the relocation of F-22 fighter aircraft and revealed significant capability gaps in base defense, according to multiple members of Congress and Department of Defense officials.
“There were over 350 detections of drones at 100 different military installations last year alone,” Rep. William Timmons (R-S.C.) said during an April 29, 2025 hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. “These incursions are not from hobbyists being blown off course.”
Timmons and others argued that current defense postures are inadequate for protecting U.S. military sites from surveillance or attack. “The multitude of drones reported flying over bases in the past several years revealed a coordinated effort by our adversaries to collect valuable intelligence and surveillance,” he added.
The Pentagon currently fields a range of counter-UAS systems, including explosive interceptors, GPS jammers, high-energy lasers, and radio frequency “soft-kill” options. However, these tools are often designed for combat zones and present safety concerns when used near civilians.
“There are pros and cons to all of these methods,” said Shaan Shaikh, a defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, as reported by Air & Space Forces Magazine. “If you’re using a missile system, that is going to cause some debris. If you’re using high-power microwaves, that could potentially fry other electronics in the area.”
According to the DIU’s May 5 announcement, the goal is to develop modular systems that can integrate into existing programs of record and scale across services. Up to 10 vendors will be selected to participate in the Falcon Peak exercise this September, with each eligible to receive up to $1 million in initial funding.
“We are focused on working with industry’s most agile commercial companies to meet the evolving challenges in countering UAS,” said DIU Director Doug Beck. He emphasized that this effort is tied to broader modernization under Executive Order 14269, which aims to streamline defense acquisitions and spur innovation in the industrial base.
