Leonardo DRS wins $500 million Pentagon contract for counter-drone sensors

Leonardo DRS has won a $500 million ceiling contract from the Pentagon’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) to compete for counter-drone sensing work, the company said on October 14, 2026. Army Technology reported the award on October 15.

The three-year contract lets DRS bid for task orders covering integrated counter-UAS sensing for force protection and low-altitude air defence. The company’s release names no product, no task order and no funded amount.

Leonardo DRS JIATF-401 Counter-UAS Sensing Contract

John Baylouny, president and CEO of Leonardo DRS, said the award helps the company “accelerate the delivery of integrated C-UAS sensing technologies,” according to the release. Max Cohen, senior vice president and general manager of RADA Technologies, said the unit’s radars have shown detection, tracking and force protection performance in operational environments.

DRS says its radars serve counter-UAS, counter-rocket, artillery, mortar and short-range air defence missions. Those are company descriptions; the release does not say which radar types would be offered under this contract.

What a $500 Million IDIQ Ceiling Does and Does Not Guarantee

An IDIQ is a contract vehicle, not a purchase order. The $500 million is a ceiling, the most the government could order through it, and DRS must win each task order in competition. The release does not say how much has been ordered so far.

Read the headline figure as access to a market rather than booked revenue. That reading is analysis, not a company claim.

JIATF-401 Counter-Drone Awards Compared

Army Technology describes JIATF-401 as the body that centralises Pentagon counter-small-UAS work: requirements, testing, acquisition, training and threat analysis. It replaces the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO), moving buying from service-specific efforts to one authority.

A separate US Army article dated September 29, 2026 listed a batch of multiple-award IDIQs for Domestic Shield, the effort to protect higher-risk Pentagon facilities inside the United States. The list includes RADA Technologies, LLC at a $500 million base value. DRS’s release does not say whether its award is that same vehicle, so we do not treat the two as one contract.

Why Sensing Comes First in Counter-Drone Buying

A counter-drone weapon cannot engage what the network has not detected, and small, low-flying drones are hard to track. A sensor award therefore sits upstream of many shooter decisions, because one radar picture can feed several kinds of effector. That reading is analysis, not a company claim.

Baylouny said customers need proven capabilities delivered at operational speed. Whether a $500 million vehicle delivers that depends on how quickly JIATF-401 issues task orders.

Leonardo DRS Company Profile

Leonardo DRS JIATF-401 Contract FAQ

How much is the Leonardo DRS JIATF-401 contract worth?

It has a ceiling of $500 million over a three-year performance period. That is a maximum, not a guaranteed order value.

What is JIATF-401?

The Pentagon task force that centralises counter-small-UAS requirements, testing, acquisition, training and threat analysis, replacing the JCO, according to Army Technology.

Which products will Leonardo DRS supply?

The release names none. It refers to integrated C-UAS sensing and radars from the RADA Technologies unit.

Has Leonardo DRS received any orders yet?

The company has not announced a task order or funded amount. DRS can compete for orders under the contract.

What is an IDIQ contract?

A flexible contract that sets a maximum value and period. The government places individual task orders against it as needs arise.