The US Department of Defense’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401) has made its first acquisition under the Replicator 2 initiative.
Replicator 2 is an ongoing Defense Innovation Unit-led program to adopt counter-unmanned aerial system (c-UAS) solutions with less collateral damage.
JIATF 401’s contract ordered two sets of DroneHunter F700 interceptors developed by Utah-based Fortem Technologies, scheduled for delivery by April.
F700 is a reusable, AI-enabled rotary-wing system that detects enemy drones up to 4 kilometers (2 miles) away and fires multiple nets to capture them.
It is launchable within 3 minutes for dense or sensitive environments, has a battery recharge time of 75 minutes, and has a maximum speed of 25 meters per second (56 miles per hour).
‘Community of Action’
JIATF 401, established in August 2025, is a lead Pentagon organization assigned to streamline, counter-unmanned aerial system (c-UAS) capabilities across all US commands and military installations.
It is also tasked with supporting critical infrastructure, other federal agencies, and projects with allied forces.
“We’re designed to move at the speed of relevance, cutting through red tape, consolidating resources, and engaging venture capitalists, tech startups, and nontraditional defense firms as critical partners,” said US Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF 401.
Ross noted that the task force’s inaugural acquisition under the Replicator program shows the group’s shift “from a community of interest to a community of action,” citing the move as an effective approach to building layered homeland defenses.
“We have just one measure of effectiveness: to deliver state-of-the-art counter-UAS capabilities to our warfighters both at home and abroad,” he said.
“Replicator 2 is … about leveraging innovation in the commercial sector and deploying it where it’s needed most.”
