A Common Acquisition Pathway Across DHS
The Department of Homeland Security announced on August 5, 2026 that it has made multiple contract awards to support department-wide access to Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) capabilities. The awards give DHS components a common pathway to acquire C-UAS hardware, software and services tailored to fixed-site, mobile, aviation, maritime, aircraft-based and special-mission environments, according to the department’s Science and Technology Directorate.
“These awards mark an important step in strengthening DHS’s ability to respond to unauthorized and malicious unmanned aircraft systems,” said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “By taking a Department-wide approach, we are improving mission readiness, supporting more consistent capabilities, and helping ensure DHS personnel have access to the right tools for the job.”
Replacing Fragmented Procurement
DHS components have historically procured C-UAS capabilities through separate acquisition efforts. The new contract structure is intended to support greater consistency, interoperability, operational flexibility, technology refresh and lifecycle management across the department, while still letting individual components select solutions aligned to their specific missions. The awarded contracts cover detection, tracking, classification, identification, mitigation, command-and-control integration, training, maintenance, technical support, system integration, research and development, test and evaluation, and vendor-operated turnkey services.
“As unmanned aircraft systems become more capable and more widely available, DHS needs solutions that can adapt,” said Under Secretary for Science and Technology Pedro Allende. Components expected to use the contract include the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, FEMA, the Federal Protective Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the Science and Technology Directorate itself. DHS did not disclose specific contract values or awardee names in its announcement.
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