Rome Lab Secures $5M for Counter-Drone Detection as Mystery Drone Panic Fades

The Air Force Research Lab in Rome, New York just locked in $224.5 million in defense funding, including $5 million specifically for counter-drone detection systems. The timing is hard to ignore: this authorization comes exactly one year after the New Jersey “mystery drone” panic that federal investigators ultimately blamed on misidentified aircraft, planets, and stars.

U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced the funding authorization on December 10, 2025, securing $37.5 million more than the president’s budget request for fiscal year 2026. The National Defense Authorization Act authorization unlocks the federal appropriations process, though the senators noted they will continue pushing to include the funding in the final defense spending package.

What the Funding Includes

The $224.5 million authorization covers several research priorities at what the Air Force calls its “Superlab” for command, control, communications, cyber, and intelligence technologies. Here is how the key drone-related allocations break down:

The Counter-UAS funding will support Rome Lab’s work on advanced detection systems, a capability that has faced renewed scrutiny following widespread drone sighting reports across the northeastern United States.

Rome Lab’s Growing Role in Drone Defense

Rome Lab has operated as the Air Force’s premier information technology research facility since 1997. Located at the former Griffiss Air Force Base, the lab employs over 700 civilian experts, more than 50 active-duty military personnel, and over 420 on-site contractors.

The facility was designated as the Quantum Information Science Research Center for the U.S. Air Force and Space Force in 2021. Its partnerships include the Griffiss Institute, Assured Information Security in Rome, the CNY Defense Alliance, and IBM.

“Rome Lab is vital to our national defense and it’s the powerhouse workforce of the Mohawk Valley that will ensure America leads the globe in quantum computing, drones, cyberwarfare and other next-gen military technologies,” Schumer said in a statement. “Their Extreme Computing Facility is key to America’s quantum research strategy.”

The lab also operates a facility in Stockbridge, Madison County, where officials say the focus is anti-drone technology development and testing.

The 3A-BMN and Autonomous Battle Networks

The second $5 million allocation supports the Agile, Assured and Autonomous Battle Management Network, known as 3A-BMN. This program aims to create trusted, timely, and autonomous command-and-control systems for military operations.

“3A-BMN represents a decisive step forward in trusted, timely and autonomous battle management,” said Charles Green, CEO of Assured Information Security. “We’re proud to bring our expertise to a mission that directly strengthens joint force readiness and protects our warfighters.”

The funding will strengthen Rome Lab’s public-private partnerships and workforce development while increasing collaboration with other government labs, universities, and industry partners.

Regional Economic Impact

Senator Gillibrand emphasized the broader economic benefits for upstate New York. “This investment is a major step forward in strengthening the Mohawk Valley’s position as the nation’s hub for quantum and cyber research,” she said. “From quantum networking and cloud computing to unmanned aerial systems, these funds will support good-paying New York jobs and bolster our national security.”

Nick Steward, executive director of the CNY Defense Alliance, called the distributed quantum networking funding “a meaningful step forward for Central New York’s defense ecosystem.”

Heather Hage, president and CEO of the Griffiss Institute, added that “consistent federal support for Rome Lab advances critical technologies, strengthens the innovation workforce and drives economic growth in the Mohawk Valley and beyond.”

DroneXL’s Take

The timing of this Counter-UAS funding authorization is remarkable. We are now exactly one year removed from the peak of the New Jersey mystery drone panic, when thousands of sightings flooded federal tip lines and prompted multi-agency investigations. The conclusion? Most of those “car-sized drones” turned out to be commercial aircraft on approach to regional airports, stars, and planets.

TSA documents later revealed that “drones” reported near Raritan Valley Community College were actually three commercial aircraft approaching Solberg Airport. Coast Guard personnel who reported drones following their vessel were watching JFK approach traffic. White House forensic analysis confirmed these were not drones at all.

Yet here we are, with another $5 million flowing into counter-drone detection systems. This follows a pattern we have been tracking closely. The Pentagon recently launched an “Amazon-style portal” for counter-drone equipment, complete with fly-away kits that can deploy within 24 hours. The military has shifted roughly $50 billion from legacy programs toward drone and counter-drone technology. Companies like MatrixSpace are winning Army contracts for portable AI-powered detection systems.

The counter-drone industry is experiencing a gold rush, and panic sells. When the New Jersey sightings exposed gaps in detection capabilities, defense contractors saw opportunity. When drone swarms appeared over Langley Air Force Base for 17 consecutive nights in late 2023, the calls for funding intensified.

To be clear, there are legitimate security concerns. Unauthorized drones have appeared over military installations in the U.S. and Europe. The threat from weaponized commercial drones is real and well-documented in Ukraine. Rome Lab’s detection research serves a genuine national security purpose.

But we should also recognize the pattern: mass hysteria events driven by misidentification lead to permanent funding increases and regulatory restrictions that outlast the panic itself. The mystery drones disappeared when the cameras stopped rolling, but the counter-drone budgets keep growing.

Meanwhile, legitimate drone operators face the consequences. The same detection systems designed to catch bad actors also track hobbyists and commercial pilots going about legal business. Every panic creates regulatory backlash that restricts beneficial drone applications.

Rome Lab’s quantum computing and autonomous systems research represents genuinely important work. The facility has a long track record of developing technologies that eventually benefit both military and civilian applications. ATAK, the tactical awareness software now used by law enforcement nationwide, originated there.

The question is whether $5 million in counter-drone detection funding addresses real gaps or simply capitalizes on public fear. Given what we learned about the New Jersey sightings, the answer is not entirely clear.

What do you think about continued counter-drone funding after investigations debunked most mystery sightings? Share your thoughts in the comments below.