The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently awarded $250 million in Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Program grants to the 11 states hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 matches and National Capital Region events. The region is hosting America 250 national events.
“We knew we needed to act quickly to keep the World Cup safe from the rising threat of unmanned aircraft systems and that’s exactly what we did,” FEMA Acting Administrator Karen Evans said. “This is the fastest non-disaster grant program ever executed by FEMA with funds being awarded just 25 days after the application deadline. This efficiency is a testament to the administration’s laser-focus on cutting red tape, getting resources into the hands of law enforcement, and protecting the American people.”
The C-UAS Grant Program was established under U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.” It provides the Department of Homeland Security with $500 million in federal funding over two years to enhance state and local capabilities to combat unmanned aircraft systems.
Recipients can use funding to strengthen their ability to detect, identify, track, or mitigate unmanned aircraft systems.
The remaining $250 million will be distributed this year to the states and territories to build detection and response capacity.