The Pentagon’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401) has made its first acquisition under the Replicator 2 initiative, awarding a contract for two advanced DroneHunter F700 systems expected to be delivered by April.
The DroneHunter is a reusable interceptor drone that uses artificial intelligence and radar to detect and track small, low-altitude drones in complex environments. Once a potential threat is identified, the system captures the drone using a tethered net and tows it to a designated location, where it can be examined for forensic purposes.
The task force did not disclose the award amount but explained that the acquisition is intended to enhance its ability to address the growing risk posed by small unmanned aerial systems (UAS). It also represents early steps in rapidly fielding counter-UAS, a priority for the Defense Department (DOD) – rebranded as the War Department by the Trump administration.
“We have just one measure of effectiveness: to deliver state-of-the-art counter-UAS capabilities to our warfighters both at home and abroad. This purchase of the DroneHunter system is a key first step in accomplishing our Replicator 2 mission,” said Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, JIATF 401 director, in a statement.
This initial purchase is the first step in the task force agenda “to deliver state-of-the-art counter-UAS technology to protect military infrastructure and service members,” according to the task force.
“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 Ross.
Replicator 2, announced in September 2024 as a follow-up to the original Replicator effort launched in August 2023 under the Biden administration, is a Pentagon initiative designed to rapidly field counter-drone capabilities at scale. It aims to use streamlined acquisition pathways to move systems from contract to operational use in months rather than years.
While the initial Replicator initiative focused on deploying thousands of autonomous systems across multiple domains, Replicator 2 is specifically aimed at countering the threat posed by small UAS.
Initially run by the Defense Innovation Unit, the effort is now led by JIATF 401, which was established in August 2025. The task force is responsible for synchronizing counter-small UAS efforts across the department and rapidly delivering joint capabilities.
“Replicator 2 is not about starting from scratch,” Ross said. “It’s about leveraging the incredible innovation happening in the commercial sector and getting it deployed where it is needed most.”