Fiscal Year 2027 Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program
FEMA will distribute $250 million in FY 2027 to 56 states and territories for counter-drone technologies, building national response capacity and supporting security for the 2028 Olympics, Paralympics, and torch relay.
Funder: Department of Homeland Security - FEMA
Due Dates: November 16, 2026, 5 p.m. ET (Application) | November 16, 2026, 3 p.m. ET (System-issue notification)
Funding Amounts: $250 million total; awards of $822,338–$18,665,396; 36-month period of performance
Summary: Supports public safety capabilities to detect, identify, monitor, track, and lawfully mitigate unmanned aircraft system threats.
Key Information: Only State Administrative Agencies may apply directly; eligible public safety entities participate through their SAA.
Description
FEMA’s Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program funds state, local, tribal, and territorial capabilities to protect the public, critical infrastructure, and sensitive government operations from unlawful drone use. Supported activities include planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercises for detection, identification, monitoring, tracking, and authorized mitigation. This is a capability-deployment program: technology-development studies and proof-of-concept initiatives are ineligible.
Fiscal Year 2027 funding extends across all 56 states and territories, building nationwide detection and response capacity while supporting the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. Securing the nationwide Olympic torch relay and coordinating interagency support are operational priorities. DHS strongly recommends radar capabilities because they can detect drones that do not emit radio-frequency signals. Purchasing equipment does not itself authorize its operation.
