By Dronelife Options Editor Jim Magill
(Editor’s observe: That is the third in a collection of tales on efforts to determine new counter-UAS protocols within the U.S. to guard high-profile sporting occasions and demanding infrastructure from the potential threats posed by drones flown by careless or hostile actors. This story will give attention to the challenges confronted by officers within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in creating counter-UAS operations to guard World Cup-related occasions of their area.)
Massachusetts, which is able to host seven matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026, will divvy up roughly $21.2 million in federal grant cash for counter-UAS operations amongst three recipients: the Massachusetts State Police, the Boston Police Division and the Foxborough Police Division.
The funds are a part of a $250 million grant, which the Federal Emergency Administration Company (FEMA) is awarding to cities internet hosting occasions related to the World Cup match and America’s 250th birthday celebration. The cash is earmarked for use to help coaching, personnel and tools to guard towards the safety dangers created by the malicious use of drones.
Below the grant program, administered by the Massachusetts Workplace of Grants and Analysis (OGR), the Boston PD will obtain nearly half the accessible funds, nearly $11 million, whereas the State Police will obtain nearly $6.8 million, and the Foxborough PD will get about $3.5 million.
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, which might be generally known as Boston Stadium throughout World Cup occasions, would be the web site of seven matches throughout the world-renowned soccer occasion, together with two knockout video games within the latter levels of the match.
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 might be a spotlight of an thrilling 12 months in Massachusetts, and we’re dedicated to making sure that everybody can benefit from the occasion safely,” Governor Maura Healey stated in an OGR press assertion. “These grants will assist state and native police companies bolster safety, coaching and tools to maintain residents and guests secure all through the video games and surrounding celebrations.”
The three police companies are anticipated to make use of the FEMA funding to buy UAS detection and monitoring applied sciences to guard the World Cup websites from the potential risks posed by drones flown by unhealthy actors.
“Massive-venue safety is a essential component of our homeland safety applications, and these grants will assist be sure that residents and guests are in a position to safely benefit from the World Cup video games and different large-scale occasions,” stated OGR Government Director Kevin Stanton.
Grant Recipients Going through A number of Challenges
Designing a coordinated counter-UAS effort to guard the 1000’s of followers anticipated to flock to the World Cup occasions within the space goes to current large logistical challenges for the three police companies. To start with “Boston Stadium,” just isn’t within the metropolis of Boston.
Gillette Stadium, the house of NFL’s New England Patriots (NFL) and Main League Soccer’s New England Revolution (MLS) is positioned about 27 miles southwest of the Boston metropolis heart. Secondly, lower than six months earlier than the World Cup occasions within the space are set to get below means in early June, organizers haven’t but decided a location for the place the official World Cup Fan Competition could be held.
In line with a report on World Cup readiness, launched final week by the Massachusetts Government Workplace of Public Security and Safety, the placement of the Fan Competition “a key part to the fan expertise and celebration” and the “major public viewing occasion,” has not been chosen.
“Whereas the state doesn’t have a task in committing to a location, it does have a task in planning to ship a secure and safe setting for the chosen location. Till the placement is recognized, planning, coordination and preparation is proscribed and projected prices could have to be up to date as soon as a location is finalized,” the report states.
Deciding on a Fan Competition web site is also prone to be an enormous consider selections concerning the sorts of counter-UAS tools to be bought and its placement.
Making certain that their personnel are educated in the usage of counter-UAS tools, notably in drone-mitigation tools designed to carry down rogue drones, is one other key issue for the three police companies to cope with.
In line with FEMA, “Funds for C-UAS mitigation capabilities (e.g., kinetic or non-kinetic applied sciences used to disable, destroy, or seize management of UAS throughout flight) could solely be approved for regulation enforcement or correctional companies with personnel who’ve been educated or are scheduled to be educated on the FBI Nationwide Counter-UAS Coaching Middle (NCUTC).”
As well as, FEMA stipulates drone-mitigation applied sciences procured by the grant program “together with radio frequency methods, kinetic methods, and superior detection, monitoring, and identification methods,” have to be according to the technological capabilities of the tools the FBI makes use of in its coaching.
Within the OGR assertion, Massachusetts Public Security and Safety Secretary Gina Kwon pressured the necessity for collaboration throughout all of the area’s public service companies that might be concerned within the growth of counter-UAS methods to guard folks and property at World Cup occasions from threats posed by nefariously operated drones.
“This funding will strengthen our operational capabilities, from personnel to expertise, so regulation enforcement can reply shortly and successfully,” Kwon stated. “These grants guarantee state and native companions are outfitted to safeguard residents and guests throughout main occasions just like the World Cup.”
Learn Extra
Jim Magill is a Houston-based author with nearly a quarter-century of expertise protecting technical and financial developments within the oil and fuel business. After retiring in December 2019 as a senior editor with S&P World Platts, Jim started writing about rising applied sciences, akin to synthetic intelligence, robots and drones, and the methods during which they’re contributing to our society. Along with DroneLife, Jim is a contributor to Forbes.com and his work has appeared within the Houston Chronicle, U.S. Information & World Report, and Unmanned Programs, a publication of the Affiliation for Unmanned Car Programs Worldwide.