Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross visited the FBI’s National Training Center for counter-small unmanned aircraft systems at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville on Thursday, Feb. 12, to strengthen coordination between federal agencies working to protect the nation from unmanned aerial threats.

Ross, director of Joint Interagency Task Force 401, met with FBI officials to solidify a strategic alliance focused on expanding joint training efforts and accelerating the development of counter-UAS capabilities across the federal government.

The visit centered on enhancing collaboration between the War Department and the FBI to improve homeland defense through interagency partnerships. A key topic of discussion was security planning for this summer’s FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted in eleven cities across the United States.

Ross and Mike Torphy, FBI acting assistant section chief for UAS and counter-UAS, spoke with instructors leading a specialized training course for local law enforcement agencies in each of the tournament’s host cities. The course is designed to strengthen preparedness against drone-related threats during high-profile events.

“The security of our homeland depends on a seamless, unified defense, and that is only possible through robust interagency collaboration,” Ross said. “The threats we face are shared, so our solutions must be as well. Our work with the FBI, to secure major events like the World Cup against the threat of drones, is a prime example of this strategy in action, but our goal is much broader: to build permanent, integrated counter-UAS capabilities across the federal government.”

Officials said the partnership aims to build a more resilient national counter-UAS framework while ensuring state and local law enforcement partners are properly trained and equipped to respond to emerging threats.

Ross thanked Torphy for hosting the visit, noting the importance of combining Joint Interagency Task Force 401’s battlefield experience and joint training expertise with the FBI’s law enforcement mission.

“This is one example of how JIATF 401 is working with partners to enhance our counter-drone efforts,” Ross said. “No single person or agency can take on this task alone. It requires a whole-of-government coordination, and I am grateful that Mr. Torphy and the training center staff are supporting our mission to build a layered defense against the full spectrum of small UAS threats to the homeland.”

The Huntsville meeting represents a broader effort to formalize and expand cooperation between the department and federal law enforcement agencies. Future initiatives are expected to include collaboration between JIATF 401’s Joint Counter-Small UAS University at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the FBI’s National Training Center to further advance shared training and capability development.

Officials said the partnership model will not only strengthen security for specific events such as the World Cup but also serve as a framework for a more integrated national approach to counter-UAS threats moving forward.