---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 199"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "199"
heading: "Joint Interagency Task Force 401"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/199"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part I — Organization and General Military Powers"
  - "Chapter 8 — Defense Agencies and Department of Defense Field Activities"
  - "Subchapter I — Common Supply and Service Activities"
---

# §199. Joint Interagency Task Force 401

- (a) **Establishment.—** There is established in the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense a joint activity to be known as the “Joint Interagency Task Force 401” (referred to in this section as the “Task Force”).
- (b) **Director.—**
  - (1) There is a Director of the Task Force (referred to in this section as the “Director”) who shall be appointed by the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense from among personnel of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense who are—
    - (A) general or [flag officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-5) of the covered [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4); or
    - (B) members of the Senior Executive Service.
  - (2) The Director shall report directly to the Deputy [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense and shall serve as the principal advisor to the Deputy [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on counter-small unmanned aircraft system matters.
- (c) **Organization.—** The Task Force shall—
  - (1) be designated as a jointly manned activity with full joint manning support from the covered [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) as determined by the Director; and
  - (2) shall consist of such other subordinate organizational elements as the Director determines appropriate, subject to the authority, direction, and control of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense with support from designated organizational elements within the Office of the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense as determined by the Director in coordination with the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3).
- (d) **Responsibilities.—** The responsibilities of the Task Force shall include the following:
  - (1) Lead, advocate, coordinate, and focus all [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense actions in support of efforts of the combatant commands and the covered [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) to defeat small unmanned aircraft systems (referred to in this section as “sUAS”) as weapons of strategic influence.
  - (2) Integrate all counter-sUAS solutions throughout the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, seeking interagency participation and assistance as necessary.
  - (3) Develop and share counter-sUAS [training](/usc/10/301.md?p=9) tools, expertise, and tactics, techniques, and procedures for [components](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense that address needs of the joint force.
  - (4) Coordinate efforts across the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense to develop, test, evaluate, and procure counter-sUAS kinetic and non-kinetic defeat capabilities.
  - (5) Carry out the counter-sUAS validation and acquisition responsibilities described in subsections [(e)](#e) and [(f)](#f).
  - (6) Develop and regularly update a counter-sUAS strategic plan.
  - (7) Carry out such other activities relating to counter-sUAS as the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense determines appropriate.
- (e) **Approval and Validation of Counter-suas Systems.—**
  - (1) The Task Force shall serve as the entity within the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense with primary responsibility for the validation and approval of counter-sUAS systems for [procurement](/usc/10/3011.md?p=1) and use by the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6).
  - (2) In coordination with other [components](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense, the Director shall develop, maintain, and regularly update a list of counter-sUAS systems that are validated and approved for [procurement](/usc/10/3011.md?p=1) and use by the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) as described in [paragraph (1)](#e-1). The Director shall ensure that each counter-sUAS system on the list has been vetted by the Task Force and has proven to be effective for use by the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) in countering sUAS.
  - (3) Except as provided in [paragraph (4)](#e-4), no [component](/usc/10/3011.md?p=13) of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Defense may procure a counter-sUAS system unless such system—
    - (A) has been validated and approved by the Task Force under [paragraph (1)](#e-1); and
    - (B) is included on the list maintained under [paragraph (2)](#e-2).
  - (4) The [service acquisition executive](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-10) of the [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) concerned (in the case of a [procurement](/usc/10/3011.md?p=1) by a [military](/usc/10/801.md?p=8) [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6)) or the Under [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (in the case of a [procurement](/usc/10/3011.md?p=1) not under the authority of a [service acquisition executive](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-10)) may waive the restriction under [paragraph (3)](#e-3), on a case-by-case basis, by submitting to the [congressional defense committees](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-16)—
    - (A) notice of the intent to issue such a waiver; and
    - (B) an explanation of the reasons for issuing the waiver.
- (f) **Acquisition Division.—** The Director shall establish and maintain an acquisition division within the Task Force. The acquisition division shall—
  - (1) include acquisition professionals from relevant [portfolio acquisition executives](/usc/10/1737.md?p=a-4) (as described in [section 1732 of this title](/usc/10/1732.md)) within each covered armed force;
  - (2) support and facilitate efforts of the Director and covered [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4)—
    - (A) to budget and plan for the integration and sustainment of counter-sUAS capabilities that are approved and validated by the Task Force under [subsection (e)](#e); and
    - (B) to efficiently and effectively transition such capabilities into operational use; and
  - (3) have such other duties and responsibilities as the Director determines appropriate.
- (g) **Annual Reports.—** On an annual basis, the Director shall submit to the [congressional defense committees](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-16) a report that [includes](/usc/10/101.md?p=g-4) a summary of the activities of the Task Force over the period covered by the report, including a description of—
  - (1) the progress of the Task Force in carrying out the requirements of this section;
  - (2) the metrics used to measure such progress; and
  - (3) recommendations for congressional consideration.
- (h) **Definitions.—** In this section:
  - (1) The term “counter-sUAS system” means a system or device capable of lawfully and safely disabling, disrupting, or seizing control of a small unmanned aircraft or small unmanned aircraft system.
  - (2) The term “covered [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4)” means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force.
  - (3) The terms “small unmanned aircraft”, “unmanned aircraft”, and “unmanned aircraft system” have the meanings given those terms in [section 44801 of title 49](/usc/49/44801.md).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title IX, § 912(a), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1015.)