Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401) announced Jan. 11 its first acquisition under the Replicator 2 initiative, awarding a contract for two DroneHunter F700 systems, expected to be delivered by April.
The acquisition enhances the task force’s ability to counter the growing threat posed by small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and marks a key step in the War Department’s effort to rapidly field counter-UAS capabilities to protect military installations and critical infrastructure across the United States.
“We’re designed to move at the speed of relevance—cutting through red tape, consolidating resources, and engaging venture capitalists, tech startups, and nontraditional defense firms as critical partners,” said Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF 401. “Our single measure of effectiveness is delivering state-of-the-art counter-UAS capabilities to our warfighters at home and abroad. This purchase is a key first step in accomplishing our Replicator 2 mission.”
Army Lt. Col. Brian D. Reynolds, Joint Task Force National Capital Region chief of mission assurance, explains the counter-unmanned aircraft system exercise drone path on a map to interagency partners at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Washington, Nov. 20, 2025.
The Replicator initiative, launched in August 2023, is a War Department effort to accelerate delivery of innovative capabilities at speed and scale. While Replicator 1 focused on deploying autonomous systems across multiple domains, Replicator 2 is specifically aimed at countering small UAS threats.
Established in August 2025, JIATF 401 leads Replicator 2 by synchronizing counter-small UAS efforts across the department and rapidly delivering joint capabilities.
“Replicator 2 is not about starting from scratch,” Ross said. “It’s about leveraging commercial innovation and deploying it where it’s needed most.”
Army Lt. Col. Brian D. Reynolds, Joint Task Force National Capital Region chief of mission assurance, coordinates with Joint Interagency Task Force 401 personnel during a counter-UAS exercise at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Washington, Nov. 20, 2025.
The AI-enabled DroneHunter is a reusable interceptor drone that detects, tracks, and captures small UAS using radar and a tethered net, allowing safe recovery for forensic analysis. Its non-kinetic approach makes it well suited for homeland defense environments where minimizing risk to civilians and infrastructure is critical.
“This acquisition shows how JIATF 401 has moved from a community of interest to a community of action,”
Ross said, emphasizing a whole-of-government approach to countering small UAS threats.
Source: U.S. Department of War