With days left to claim a share of the $250 million in federal counter-drone funding from FEMA, state officials must decide how to protect critical infrastructure and major public events for years to come.

The money is available, but the Nov. 16 deadline is fast approaching, and states that focus on buying more detection equipment without investing in the systems that connect it risk missing the point. The priority should be building a coordinated airspace security capability, not simply adding more sensors.

Why do we need counter-drone capabilities?

This funding is intended to strengthen the nation’s counter-drone capabilities ahead of major events, including the 2028 Olympics and the Olympic torch relay. But securing the funding is only the first step. States must also decide how to invest it in ways that deliver lasting public-safety benefits.

The temptation will be to buy hardware. Radar, radio-frequency detection and electro-optical and infrared systems all have a role in identifying unauthorized drones. But state officials should resist the assumption that purchasing more sensors automatically produces better protection. 

The more consequential investment may be the capability that connects those sensors and the agencies using them. 

What can we learn from security at the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

I spent much of this year speaking with people who managed airspace at World Cup venues. One challenge repeatedly emerged: coordination. A stadium’s security operation can involve city........

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