The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) has been granted over $3 million in federal funding to enhance drone surveillance and management as the state prepares for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. This financial boost, part of a larger $30 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), will enable DPS to upgrade its drone detection and mitigation technology.
The new system will empower authorities to take control of unauthorized drones, safely redirecting them to designated locations. This capability marks a significant advancement for DPS, which has monitored airspace for years but has not had the ability to intervene directly with rogue aircraft.
Captain Aaron Fritch, who oversees drone operations for the DPS, emphasized the importance of ensuring airspace safety during major events like the World Cup. “It’s all about airspace safety, to be honest, to ensure that we don’t end up with an incident with all the aviation assets operating,” he stated. Currently, the agency employs passive systems to identify drones and their owners, but the new funding will allow for more proactive measures.
The $3.2 million grant will facilitate the investment in a radio frequency mitigation system, which Fritch explained will enable DPS to take control of an aircraft and guide it safely away from crowded areas.
Beyond the World Cup, DPS anticipates that this technology will be beneficial in addressing various aerial threats before they reach the ground. Collaborative efforts are underway with Airspace Link, a private firm that assists law enforcement in managing unmanned aerial systems. Sonny Beech from Airspace Link noted the importance of quickly identifying drones in busy environments, stating, “We can combine that FAA data with those agencies, and now we can start helping them determine which drones are friendly versus clueless versus ones with bad intentions.”
While FEMA has allocated a total of just over $30 million for this Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems initiative, the distribution of the remaining funds among other departments remains uncertain.
