Joint Counter-UAS Office: JCO Replaced by JIATF 401

What the Joint Counter-UAS Office Was

The Department of Defense established the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO) in 2019. The Pentagon designated the Department of the Army as the executive agent in charge of the office. Its mission centered on coordinating defensive efforts across the armed services, standardizing test parameters, and assessing commercial equipment designed to defeat hostile small drones.

During its operation, the office evaluated competing hardware submissions to reduce duplication across military branches. The JCO narrowed more than three dozen drone defense prototypes down to a selected group of approved systems. It organized joint demonstration events at Yuma Proving Ground.

The office also created common training curricula and testing protocols for military operators. Under the directive issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the JCO ceases operations once Joint Interagency Task Force 401 is fully established. Hegseth stated in his directive that replacing the office will better align authorities and resources to rapidly deliver counter-small unmanned aircraft systems capabilities.

Readers tracking hardware architectures developed during this period can review this site's guide to counter-UAS technologies.

Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and Its Leadership

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the establishment of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401) on August 28, 2025. Reporting from DefenseScoop detailed the stated mandate for the new body: to serve as the Pentagon's lead organization for developing capabilities to defeat small drones.

Hegseth assigned Army Secretary Dan Driscoll to stand up the task force. Driscoll received a 30-day deadline to deliver an implementation plan covering the resource requirements, internal command structure, and operational authorities of the organization. The task force reports directly to Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg.

The directive also assigned a key support role to Emil Michael, the Pentagon chief technology officer (CTO). Michael received a 30-day deadline to recommend a dedicated test range for counter-drone technologies.

Authorities and Structure Changed Under the New Mandate

The creation of JIATF 401 introduced different operating authorities than those held by the former joint counter-uas office. According to coverage from Military Times, the task force operates under an initial mandate subject to a formal review after 36 months.

The organization possesses direct procurement authority to purchase defense equipment. The task force director may approve flexible funding up to $50 million per counter-drone initiative.

Personnel acquisition rules also changed under the new charter. JIATF 401 received streamlined hiring authority outside the normal federal process. For background on standard Pentagon purchasing pipelines, see this site's analysis of how defense procurement works.

Research and Resources Consolidated Across Defense Agencies

The Hegseth directive consolidates all DOD-wide counter-small UAS research, development, test, and evaluation efforts and resources under JIATF 401.

The directive establishes explicit exceptions to this centralized authority. Service-specific programs of record remain under the control of the respective military branches. In addition, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) retains dedicated control over its own program-of-record development activities.

Technical comparisons between directed-energy weapons, electronic warfare jammers, and interceptor drones are indexed on this site's anti-drone systems page.

Consolidation of Replicator Counter-Drone Funding

The restructuring directly incorporates the counter-drone portion of the Pentagon's high-profile Replicator initiative. On September 27, 2024, a memo from then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin launched Replicator 2, focusing the second tranche of the program on defeating small unmanned aerial systems.

One source dates the Hegseth consolidation memo August 27, 2025, and the decision was announced publicly on August 28, 2025. That memo consolidated Replicator 2 resources directly into JIATF 401.

The Department of Defense announced its first Replicator 2 acquisition on January 11, 2026. Readers can examine the original program goals in this site's guide to the Replicator initiative explained.

Battlefield Threats Behind the Organizational Shift

Pentagon leadership cited specific real-world operational challenges when establishing the new task force structure. First, defense officials pointed to increasingly sophisticated drone swarms operated by both state militaries and non-state militant groups.

Second, reporting highlighted Ukraine's Operation Spiderweb attacks on Russian warplanes as evidence of how cheap, coordinated unmanned aircraft can threaten high-value military installations. Third, defense planners emphasized the widespread battlefield record of cheap quadcopters and fixed-wing drones defeating heavily armored combat vehicles.

Military Times reported that the market for counter-drone systems is projected to reach tens of billions of dollars over the next decade. Industry suppliers competing for these contract opportunities are detailed on this site's index of counter-drone companies.

Unpublished Details on Headcount and Contracts

Several operational details regarding JIATF 401 remain undisclosed in public Defense Department releases. The Pentagon has not released figures detailing the total personnel headcount assigned to the task force or the number of civilian staff hired under streamlined authorities.

Total program budget figures beyond the $50 million per-initiative cap remain unpublished, as do individual contract values and specific equipment awards. The Department of Defense has not publicly identified the individual serving as the day-to-day director of the task force under Driscoll and Feinberg.

The final location recommended by Emil Michael for the dedicated counter-drone test range has not been announced. Defense analysts and contractors tracking the joint counter-uas office transition should monitor official Pentagon announcements for updates on task force contracts and test range selections.