U.S. Secretary of the Army, Christine Wormuth, directed the Commander of the Army Futures Command, General James Rainey, to officially form a joint interagency task force to counter the threat of hostile drones.

In a video published by the U.S. Department of Defense last night, Wormuth stated: "The new task force for this unit—Joint Interagency Task Force 401—will be a unified team that seeks to gather the best talent from various government agencies to counter drone threats and regain control of the skies."

She added: "Our mission here at the Pentagon, if you think about it, is to prepare for the threats of the future. There is no doubt that the threats we face today from hostile drones are increasing day by day."

Wormuth pointed out that "hostile drones are operating overseas and at our borders, seeking to harm U.S. fighters and its military bases, and even the sovereignty of the national airspace," emphasizing that the United States will be the best at countering drone systems.

According to the Pentagon's website, the Secretary did not comment on the estimated timeframe for the task force to begin operations but said that "the Department of Defense is currently working to reduce bureaucracy, unify resources, and find real solutions to ensure the U.S. airspace remains safe at home and abroad, and wherever forces are stationed."

She explained that the new task force will equip fighters with the right tools to defend the sovereignty of U.S. airspace and "send a clear message" that the United States "will never be defeated."

The Pentagon had announced last July its intention to increase U.S. production of low-cost drones and at that time presented 18 prototypes of American-made drones as part of its plan to ramp up production of this type of low-cost aircraft to win the bet for global leadership in the field of drones.