FBI counter-drone training isn’t keeping pace with demand

Executive Summary

The FBI's National Counter-UAS Training Center is expanding capacity: the Center plans to train 250 additional counter‑drone mitigation officers by end of FY2025, bringing the total trained personnel to ~1,000 over three years. DHS (Department of Homeland Security) is exploring direct funding investments to strengthen the Center, and Secretary Mullin has indicated demand far exceeds current capacity. The Summary flags increased federal procurement demand across counter‑UAS hardware and software, training and exercise services, and related security solutions, with heightened demand projected ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Contractors operating in the tagged market segments should view this as a medium‑severity, growth signal: there will likely be more solicitations for training delivery, equipment procurements, sustainment, and integration work involving multiple agencies. Firms should prioritize capture activities now—align technical offerings, partnerships, and compliance postures (the Tags list relevant NAICS codes, agencies, contract vehicles, and compliance regimes) to be positioned for solicitations tied to the Center expansion and related DHS/FBI procurements.

Impact Matrix

Counter-UAS/Counter-Drone Technology

• Risk Level: High
• Opportunity: Increased procurement demand for mitigation systems, integration, and sustainment implied by expansion of trained personnel. Specific NAICS codes: 334511, 334220, 334220, 334511, 334220, 334511 (see Tags). Relevant agencies: FBI, DHS, DOJ, DOD (Tags). Contract vehicles listed in Tags: DHS EAGLE II, OASIS+, Alliant 3, GSA (General Services Administration) MAS, DHS FirstSource II. Specific opportunities TBD pending solicitation language.
• Timeline: 250 additional officers by end of FY2025; total ~1,000 trained over three years; additional demand ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
• Action Required: Accelerate product readiness for operational use, validate integration with agency environments, ready field support and training packages, and prepare capture plans for the contract vehicles listed in Tags. Review and prepare to meet compliance regimes cited in Tags.
• Competitive Edge: Offer integrated solutions that combine sensors, mitigation effectors, and turnkey field training/support — highlight field-proven use cases and rapid deployability.

Security Training Services

• Risk Level: Medium
• Opportunity: Significant demand signal for instructor-led training, curriculum development, and exercise support as the training center scales capacity. Specific NAICS codes: 611519, 561621 (Tags). Specific opportunities TBD pending solicitation language.
• Timeline: Training ramp tied to the FY2025 milestone and the three‑year scaling to ~1,000 trained personnel.
• Action Required: Build or partner to expand instructor pools, develop standardized curricula for counter‑UAS mitigation officers, and document relevant past performance. Position for DHS funding channels referenced in the Summary.
• Competitive Edge: Differentiate with accredited curricula, scenario-based live/virtual exercises, and measurable qualification standards aligned to agency needs.

Defense Electronics

• Risk Level: Medium
• Opportunity: Demand for hardware components, platforms, and sustainment tied to counter‑UAS deployments. Relevant NAICS codes in Tags include 336411, 334511, 334220. Specific opportunities TBD pending solicitation language.
• Timeline: Near‑term increases corresponding to Center expansion through FY2025 and multi‑year scaling.
• Action Required: Ensure production capacity and supply‑chain resiliency; align testing and qualification artifacts to expected agency acceptance criteria.
• Competitive Edge: Emphasize rapid production scaling, ruggedized/field‑ready designs, and established logistics/sustainment pipelines.

Homeland Security

• Risk Level: Medium
• Opportunity: DHS interest in direct funding to bolster the training center indicates program funding and procurement paths. Agencies in Tags: DHS, FBI, DOJ, DOD. Contract vehicles in Tags may be channels but specific procurements TBD pending solicitations.
• Timeline: DHS exploring funding now; training increases by end of FY2025 and over three years.
• Action Required: Market to DHS stakeholders, align proposals to DHS funding priorities, and prepare for interagency tasking or cooperative opportunities.
• Competitive Edge: Demonstrate prior DHS program experience, compliance with cited regimes, and scalable training/equipment bundles.

Law Enforcement Technology

• Risk Level: Medium
• Opportunity: Agencies will require tailored solutions for law enforcement operations and compliance with law enforcement security policies. Compliance surfaces in Tags include CJIS Security Policy. Specific NAICS codes and vehicles are in Tags; opportunities TBD pending solicitation language.
• Timeline: Linked to training expansion (FY2025 and three‑year scale) and operational deployments ahead of 2028.
• Action Required: Ensure offerings meet law enforcement integration and CJIS-related handling requirements; curate referenceable law‑enforcement deployments and training outcomes.
• Competitive Edge: Provide interoperable systems and secure data-handling frameworks that explicitly address CJIS and related requirements.

Electronic Warfare

• Risk Level: Medium
• Opportunity: EW capabilities may be requested as part of layered counter‑UAS approaches tied to training and operational doctrine development. Agencies in Tags include DOD and DHS; NAICS codes in Tags apply. Specific opportunities TBD pending solicitation language.
• Timeline: Aligns with the three‑year scaling and operationalization phases.
• Action Required: Prepare classification-appropriate offerings, develop integration plans with detection and mitigation suites, and plan for classified/controlled‑unclassified workflows as needed.
• Competitive Edge: Integrate EW modules into broader counter‑UAS systems; offer joint training to validate tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Radar and Detection Systems

• Risk Level: Medium
• Opportunity: Increased need for detection sensors and cueing systems to support mitigation officers trained at the Center. NAICS codes in Tags relevant: 334511, 334220. Specific opportunities TBD pending solicitation language.
• Timeline: Near‑term procurement uptick tied to FY2025 training additions and the three‑year scale.
• Action Required: Validate sensor performance in realistic training environments, provide turnkey detection-to-mitigation integrations, and prepare test/demo events for agency evaluators.
• Competitive Edge: Offer proven sensor fusion and real‑time cueing with a low false‑alarm profile and fielded integration support.

Critical Infrastructure Protection

• Risk Level: Low to Medium
• Opportunity: Increased counter‑UAS capability and trained personnel strengthen protection for critical infrastructure assets; vendors supporting both technology and training may find cross‑sector opportunities. Agencies and compliance regimes in Tags apply. Specific NAICS codes and contract vehicles are in Tags; specific procurements TBD pending solicitations.
• Timeline: Driven by training scale and operational deployments leading into the 2028 Olympics window.
• Action Required: Coordinate outreach to infrastructure owners/operators, package solutions that combine technology, training, and incident response playbooks, and ensure compliance posture for infrastructure engagements.
• Competitive Edge: Combine sector‑specific threat assessments with integrated counter‑UAS protection packages that include training and sustainment.

Cross-Segment Implications

• Training scale-up at the FBI Center will create parallel demand for hardware (radars, sensors, mitigation devices), software (command-and-control, data sharing), and sustainment/logistics — linking Counter‑UAS Technology, Radar/Detection, Defense Electronics, and Electronic Warfare segments.
• Security Training Services and Law Enforcement Technology efforts must align on curricula, certifications, and secure data handling — creating dependencies on compliance readiness (CJIS, NIST 800-171 (NIST Special Publication 800-171), CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification), FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program), ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations)/EAR as applicable, per Tags).
• DHS exploration of direct funding suggests procurement timing may accelerate and could be channeled through the contract vehicles listed in Tags; vendors should coordinate capture strategies across Homeland Security, FBI, and DoD (Department of Defense) stakeholders to pursue multi‑agency tasking.
• The Olympic‑driven timeline (2028 Los Angeles Olympics referenced in Summary) increases the premium on near‑term delivery and integrated exercises, favoring contractors that can supply both technology and training rapidly and in interoperable packages.