WASHINGTON — Airspace security company Fortem Technologies will protect 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in the US from hostile drones under a “multimillion-dollar order” from the Department of Homeland Security, the company announced today.
Under the contract, Fortem will provide counter-drone systems, dubbed DroneHunter, at 11 World Cup venues during the premier international soccer competition beginning June 11.
Fortem’s DroneHunter interceptors use nets to trap unwanted quadcopters and other unmanned aircraft in midair, aiming to remove hostile drones without showering debris on bystanders below. America’s World Cup sites will also use non-kinetic counter-drone technology, like signal jamming, to ward off airborne threats, according to the company’s press release.
“The threat posed by small drones is one of the most consequential shifts in security of our lifetime,” Fortem CEO Jon Gruen said in the press release. “But it’s a threat we know how to stop — and we’ve already proven it on one of the world’s biggest stages.”
Securing the sprawling World Cup is no small feat: For nearly six weeks this summer, 16 cities in three countries across North America will host millions of fans and teams representing 48 nations.
Fortem took on the same job for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, providing similar technologies on a smaller scale.
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Fortem’s efforts could also shed light on what’s needed to execute the Golden Dome concept, which looks to guard against airborne threats from small drones to hypersonic missiles.
The contract is part of a larger DHS order for counter-drone tech to protect American airspace. DHS said last month it would finalize a $115 million investment in counter-drone tech to secure World Cup venues as well as those used to commemorate America’s 250th birthday, noting the “historic responsibility of protecting events that … welcome the world for the largest World Cup in history.”
