Pentagon’s counter-drone task force inks $500M contract for SkyValor ‘detect and defeat’ system after border testing

TL;DR

Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) awarded CACI International an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity)) contract worth up to $500 million for the SkyValor counter-drone system. The award follows border testing and includes deployment for the Domestic Shield initiative, signaling the Pentagon’s move toward flexible, layered counter-UAS solutions rather than single-product programs. This IDIQ represents a significant procurement vehicle for counter-UAS/counter-drone capability across defense and homeland security missions and expands opportunities for technology providers in detection, defeat, and command-and-control layers. Contractors with capabilities in sensors, electronic warfare, C2 systems, and border security should expect increased demand and should reposition pipelines and capture plans accordingly. Immediate actions are required to re-score opportunities, validate compliance surfaces, and prepare capture/proposal assets for likely follow-on solicitations.

Key Points

• What happened: JIATF-401 awarded CACI International an IDIQ worth up to $500M for the SkyValor counter-drone system; award follows border testing and includes deployment for the Domestic Shield initiative.
• Who is affected: Defense, Counter-UAS/Counter-Drone, Border Security, Homeland Security, Electronic Warfare, Sensors and Detection Systems, Command and Control Systems, Critical Infrastructure Protection; NAICS: 334511, 336414, 541330, 541512, 541715, 561621; Agencies: DOD, DHS (Department of Homeland Security), CBP; Contract vehicles: IDIQ, CACI IDIQ Portfolio; Compliance surfaces: CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification), NIST 800-171 (NIST Special Publication 800-171), ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations), DFARS (Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement), EAR.
• Timeline: Timeline TBD pending source review.
• What contractors should do NOW: Immediately rescore opportunity pipelines, activate saved searches for follow-on solicitations, verify CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information)/ITAR/DFARS compliance posture, assemble capture team and technical baseline for layered detect-and-defeat solutions, and start modular proposal content in Proposal Studio to enable rapid responses.

Who Is Affected

• Market segments: Defense; Counter-UAS/Counter-Drone; Border Security; Homeland Security; Electronic Warfare; Sensors and Detection Systems; Command and Control Systems; Critical Infrastructure Protection.
• Specific NAICS codes, agencies, and contract vehicles: 334511, 336414, 541330, 541512, 541715, 561621; DOD, DHS, CBP; IDIQ, CACI IDIQ Portfolio.
• Compliance regimes to prioritize: CMMC, NIST 800-171, ITAR, DFARS, EAR.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who won the award and what was procured?

A: JIATF-401 awarded CACI International an IDIQ contract worth up to $500 million for the SkyValor counter-drone system, including deployment for the Domestic Shield initiative.

Q: Which contractors should consider pursuing work against this vehicle?

A: Contractors with capabilities in counter-UAS/counter-drone technologies, sensors and detection, electronic warfare, command-and-control systems, border and homeland security solutions, and critical infrastructure protection should consider pursuing opportunities. Specific eligibility and competition rules for task orders are pending source review.

Q: What compliance and security controls should bidders confirm now?

A: Confirm readiness against the listed compliance surfaces: CMMC, NIST 800-171, ITAR, DFARS, and EAR. Specific solicitation security requirements and classification handling details are pending source review.

Definitions

• JIATF-401: Joint Interagency Task Force 401, the counter-drone task force named in the award.
• IDIQ: Indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract vehicle that awards task orders against a ceiling value.
• SkyValor: The named counter-drone system procured under the award.
• Domestic Shield: The initiative cited in the award for which deployment is included.
• Detect and defeat: Refers to layered counter-drone mission functions for detection and neutralization noted in the title.

Intelligence Response

• Cabrillo Signals War Room — Already detected this event and delivered this briefing. Continuously monitors regulatory changes, contract vehicles, and policy shifts.
• Cabrillo Signals Match Engine — Automatically rescores opportunity pipelines when events like this shift the competitive landscape.
• Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub — Tracks affected agencies, NAICS codes, and contract vehicles. Saved searches alert when follow-on solicitations appear on SAM.gov (System for Award Management).
• Proposal Studio (Proposal OS) — AI-powered proposal automation with compliance matrices, win theme library, and bid/no-bid decision engine.
• Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker — 9-gate capture management with automated compliance routing and audit-ready documentation.

Recommended Cabrillo products to leverage now: Cabrillo Signals War Room, Cabrillo Signals Match Engine, Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub, Proposal Studio, and Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker. Notify these roles immediately: Capture Manager (lead bid/no-bid and capture activities), BD Director (pipeline and partner outreach), CTO/Engineering Lead (technical solution and integration), Security & Compliance Officer (CMMC/NIST/ITAR/DFARS readiness), and Proposal Lead (proposal content and Proposal Studio configuration).

First 48-hour response playbook

• Hour 0–4: Initiate alert in Cabrillo Signals War Room; assign Capture Manager and open a Proposal Studio project skeleton; run immediate Match Engine rescore on current pipeline.
• Hour 4–12: Configure Intelligence Hub saved searches for JIATF-401, CACI IDIQ Portfolio task orders, and related SAM opportunity alerts; convene 1-hour stand-up with BD, Capture, CTO, and Compliance.
• Hour 12–24: Map existing technical assets to detect-and-defeat capability gaps; populate Proposal Studio compliance matrix and win-theme library; start compliance gap remediation plan.
• Hour 24–48: Finalize capture plan and go/no-go recommendation in Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker; prepare modular technical and past performance packages for rapid task-order response.

Primary hub: Winning Federal Contracts Guide (/insights/winning-federal-contracts)

Related guides: CMMC Compliance Guide (/insights/cmmc-compliance-guide), CUI-Safe CRM Guide (/insights/cui-safe-crm-guide)