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US Anti-Drone Defenses for FIFA World Cup to Include Lasers, Microwaves
By Reuters | 12 Jan, 2026

Technologies likely to be deployed to protect World Cup venues from possible terrorist drone attacks include tracking software and autonomous machine guns.

A giant model of the official Trionda pro match ball for the FIFA 2026 World Cup is displayed inside the Adidas store in Manhattan in New York City, U.S., January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo

The U.S. will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.

The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the U.S. secure, with over a million travelers expected to visit for the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.

The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both European and U.S. airports.

“We are entering a new era to defend our air superiority to protect our borders and the interior of the United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement.

Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns. The DHS did not specify which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues.

The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.

Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for defending against drone attacks. 

(Reporting by David Jeans in New York; Editing by Joe Brock and Lisa Shumaker)