By: Dawn Zoldi
The long-anticipated Safer Skies Act has set the stage for much anticipated changes in airspace security. It finally empowers state, local, territorial, and tribal (SLTT) agencies to take a direct hand in countering uncrewed aerial threats. For law enforcement and public safety leaders, it’s a watershed moment, and one that requires swift action.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup, 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and America’s 250th anniversary on the horizon, the density of large-scale public gatherings will reach levels unseen in decades. These events present opportunities for celebration of national unity but also open up significant areas of vulnerability. That’s why forward-leaning agencies have already begun to mobilize around layered defense stacks that include radio frequency (RF)-cyber counter-drone technology, a proven, safe and policy-aligned solution that ensures skies stay secure without disrupting lawful operations, as their foundation.
The Safer Skies Act: Turning Policy Momentum Into Action
Drone incidents near airports, sports arenas and critical infrastructure demonstrate that the threat is real, and rising. As D-Fend Solutions’ Zohar Halachmi highlighted in a recent CBS News feature and demonstration, the challenge is not just the number of drones in flight, but the sophistication of those operated with harmful intent. His conversation highlighted an urgent truth: counter-drone preparedness must evolve as rapidly as drone adoption itself.
The Safer Skies Act legislation recognizes this reality and that protecting low-altitude airspace must be a shared public safety mission. Its provisions in the 2026 NDAA finally give state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies a clear path to detect, track and disable dangerous drones over critical infrastructure and major public events. For years, only a small set of federal entities could legally intervene, even as local law enforcement watched suspicious drones over stadiums, prisons and public spaces with limited options.
For SLTT agencies, the Act opens the door to participate meaningfully in airspace defense by formally recognizing that low-altitude security is a shared responsibility. It pairs SLTT authority with federal training, certification, and technology approval frameworks. That structure not only unlocks operational capability, it creates a predictable environment for agencies to invest in safe and proven advanced counter-drone solutions.
For decision-makers navigating drones, counter-drones, autonomy, and policy, this moment presents a strategic inflection point where legislation, technology maturity, federal funding and global event timelines align to reward agencies that act early on counter-drone adoption.
Safer Skies will presumably accelerate an integrated “system-of-systems” approach for counter-UAS architectures that fuse RF-cyber takeover, radar and optional jamming into a layered defense. D-Fend’s EnforceAir PLUS exemplifies this trend. It combines foundational RF-cyber control with AI-enhanced radar and a software-defined jamming option for escalated responses.
RF-Cyber: the Modern Standard for Drone Mitigation
As agencies explore mitigation options, one principle stands out: safety can’t be compromised to achieve security. Traditional counter-UAS methods like jamming or kinetic response pose real risks in populated areas. In contrast, RF-cyber counter-drone solutions like D-Fend Solutions EnforceAir suite, detect and take control of rogue drones through precise RF techniques, ensuring operational continuity. Unlike legacy jamming only technology that can disrupt communications or navigation, potentially destroying or disabling the drone midair, the system instead guides it into a safe, controlled landing zone, allowing the event or operation to continue uninterrupted while the threat is safely overcome. (See prior AG coverage of EnforceAir Plus).
This approach eliminates collateral damage and interference with nearby frequencies, an essential safeguard at crowded venues, airports and government sites. Moreover, it aligns perfectly with the operational and regulatory frameworks that the Safer Skies Act will reinforce, to ensure responsible mitigation that protects both people and infrastructure.
Why the Next 18 Months Matter
Airspace threats don’t wait for legislation to take effect, and neither can SLTT readiness. Within the next 18 months, U.S. cities will host record concentrations of international events. The layered complexity of airspace management will test every level of coordination.
Autonomy Global has already highlighted how high-visibility events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup are accelerating investment in digital airspace infrastructure, from UAS Traffic Management (UTM) to real-time risk data and multi-sensor “single pane of glass” platforms. DHS and FEMA grants are prioritizing cities that can show integrated strategies under the POETE framework: planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercises. RF-cyber counter-UAS fits naturally into this stack as the active protection foundational layer that complements the digital backbone for awareness. Embedding RF-cyber systems like EnforceAir into these architectures gives World Cup, LA Olympics, and America 250 host cities not just visibility into drone activity, but the ability to safely intervene at the decisive moment.
Each week without action narrows the training and integration window for effective counter-drone deployments. (See prior AG coverage relating to the need for C-UAS training). Agencies that begin preparing, budgeting, and training now will be ready to operate confidently once the Act’s provisions take hold. Early adoption of RF-cyber systems allows time to establish standard operating procedures, refine command interfaces, implement needed integrations, and ensure seamless communication between local and federal responders.
Toward a Unified Airspace Defense
The Safer Skies Act, combined with the maturity of RF-cyber counter-drone technology, marks a new chapter for public safety. It brings together policy alignment, operational safety and tactical precision in a way that empowers SLTT agencies, rather than restricts them.
D-Fend Solutions stands ready to support at this critical moment. The company and its tech stand on the culmination of years of innovation validated in real-world operations protecting international airports, borders, critical infrastructure and major events. As Halachmi noted on CBS, “it’s all about control, not destruction.” That principle captures the essence of where airspace security must go next: smarter, safer and more collaborative.
America’s upcoming celebrations will draw the world’s attention, including the eyes of those seeking to exploit the skies. The Safer Skies Act provides the momentum. RF-cyber technology helps to deliver the means. The window for training and acquisition in time for major events is closing. What remains is for SLTT agencies to not wait for a crisis, but act now, integrate early, and lead confidently to future-proof their airspace defense and protect and secure our autonomous airspace.