DroneShield (ASX:DRO) says it is expanding urban airspace security capabilities ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 through a regional multi-site deployment intended to support persistent low-altitude airspace awareness across the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The initiative is being led by the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) in partnership with Airspace Link’s AirHub Portal and other regional public safety stakeholders. According to the parties, the approach combines operational airspace coordination, distributed radar coverage, radio frequency (RF)-based drone detection, and integrated situational awareness to support security operations across multiple jurisdictions ahead of the tournament.
DroneShield said its role in the deployment is providing the detection and “threat response” layer, supporting multi-site airspace awareness workflows through RF sensing, sensor fusion, operational coordination, and counter-UAS capabilities. The system is intended for dense urban environments where authorised drone operations, public safety aviation, media activity and potential unauthorised drone flights may occur at the same time.
Tom Adams, DroneShield’s Director of Public Safety and a retired FBI agent, said Kansas City was “helping pioneer a layered airspace security model built for the realities of modern urban environments.”
Major Greg Williams of the Kansas City Police Department said the city was building a longer-term framework to help public safety agencies manage growing drone activity across the metropolitan area.
The deployment also incorporates radar technologies from Echodyne, alongside DroneShield’s detection and operational awareness capabilities, described as a layered airspace security architecture aimed at maintaining persistent visibility across the broader operational environment.
Echodyne CEO Eben Frankenberg said Kansas City provided an example of how public safety agencies and technology partners are working together to support scalable, multi-site airspace security operations ahead of major public events.
Michael Healander, Co-Founder, President and CEO of Airspace Link, said the project was “foundational infrastructure for the future of coordinated urban drone operation.”
