D.C. Bolsters Counter-Drone Capability With Web of Sensors

Government-owned Athena system aggregates data from an array of sensors to create a full picture of UAS activity.

Jack Daleo

Monday, January 26, 2026 at 10:30 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

A Skydio X10 drone conducts surveillance around Ray Rangel Air Base during Exercise Coyote Shield at Dyess Air Force Base near Abilene, Texas, in October 2025. [Credit: Jade Caldwell/U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. government has launched "Athena," a new counter-uncrewed aircraft system (C-UAS) in the National Capital Region (NCR) to create a "fused, actionable air picture" of drone activity.
Athena, which recently achieved initial operating capability, integrates sensor data from multiple government agencies to detect, identify, and respond to unauthorized drones with enhanced precision.
This system addresses the significant threat posed by rogue drones in Washington D.C.'s highly restricted airspace and is part of a broader, government-wide push to boost C-UAS capabilities across the nation.

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As U.S. President Donald Trump pursues a Golden Dome to shield the country from missile attacks, the government is quietly introducing a similar, smaller system in the National Capital Region (NCR) around Washington, D.C.

On Thursday, the military’s Air Forces Northern and Air Forces Space units—collectively known as CONR-1AF and responsible for protecting the U.S. from aerial threats—unveiled a system that is designed to create a “fused, actionable air picture” of all uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) activity in the region.