National Guard Prepares for Drone Threats at the FIFA World Cup

The Washington National Guard is getting ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as reported by Military Times and they are treating drones like the new wildcard on the field. Earlier this month, Guard leaders and security officials gathered at Seattle’s Lumen Field to simulate drone attacks during a live match. The scenario was part of the Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems Summit, a meeting hosted by Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, who serves as Washington’s adjutant general and homeland security adviser.

The exercise imagined multiple drone attacks. One targeted Lumen Field as thousands of soccer fans packed the stadium. Two more targeted critical infrastructure sites across the region. The idea was simple. Assume the worst. Find every hole in the plan. Then fix everything before the world arrives.

Welsh described the rehearsal as a warning moment. He compared the current global drone landscape to the period right before Sept. 11. He pointed to the old red flags that the 9/11 Commission highlighted. He suggested that new red flags are popping up today with drones. He argued that agencies must move faster to prepare for what he called an evolving threat.

Officials discovered plenty of obstacles during the exercise. Some were legal barriers. Some were gaps in technical authority. Others were slow communication paths between agencies. The rehearsal also showed that technology alone will not solve the problem. Agencies need clear guidelines, clear roles and people who can act quickly in real time.

The Counter Drone Systems Under Consideration

Although the Guard did not publish a list of the exact systems used or simulated in the exercise, the U.S. military has a well known set of counter drone tools. These tools fall into three groups. Detect. Disrupt. Destroy. The exercise almost certainly modeled a combination of these systems, since modern defense relies on layers.

One of the most capable toolkits is the fly away counter drone package developed by Anduril.

This package combines radar, infrared detection, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence and even a small interceptor drone. The kit includes a sensor called Wisp that watches the sky in every direction with thermal tracking. It also includes Pulsar, an electronic warfare device that can interfere with a drone’s flight signals. A mobile trailer system called Heimdal adds radar and optical detection. If all else fails, the system can launch Anvil, a small drone that knocks hostile aircraft out of the sky by colliding with them.

Another system likely folded into the simulation is M LIDS. It is designed to stop drones that fly low and slow. It uses radar and cameras to track targets. It can jam signals that control the aircraft. It can also fire small interceptor missiles that chase down a rogue drone.

Some tabletop models also include directed energy weapons. These are high power microwave systems that disable drones by frying their electronics. Systems like Leonidas or THOR can stop single drones or even swarms. These tools are powerful, but they also raise legal questions when used inside civilian areas. That is exactly the kind of issue the exercise tried to address. Who has the authority to press the button. Who controls the airspace. Who steps in during an attack at a stadium filled with fans.

During the summit, leaders focused on roles and responsibilities. Not just hardware. They tested how quickly agencies could speak to each other. They practiced dividing tasks. They worked through bottlenecks. They looked for places where state, local and federal authority collide. These issues matter just as much as the technology itself. A jamming tool does nothing if nobody is authorized to turn it on.

A Bigger Mission for 2026

The next World Cup will take place in eleven major U.S. cities. That means stadiums in places like Seattle, Dallas, Los Angeles and New York will all have to plan for potential drone threats. National Guard units across many states already run tabletop rehearsals for fires, earthquakes and storms. Now drones are on the list. They are fast. They are cheap. They are available to anyone. That makes them a growing concern for major events.

The Washington exercise showed that agencies are trying to get ahead of the threat. It also made clear that more work is needed. Leaders said the real value came from gathering everyone in one room. For the first time, they felt like they were all looking at the same problem instead of talking past each other.

DroneXL’s Take

Drones are not science fiction threats anymore. They are real tools that bad actors can use in crowded places. The World Cup in 2026 will attract millions of fans and global attention. That makes it a prime target. The good news is that the National Guard and security agencies are taking this seriously. They are simulating attack paths. They are reviewing real counter drone systems. They are working through the rules that decide who can act. That is the kind of preparation that can prevent a disaster before it begins.

Photo credit: Lumen Field, Department of Defense/John Ingle