DroneShield is expanding urban airspace security measures ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 through a regional multi-site deployment designed to support continuous low-altitude airspace awareness across the Kansas City metropolitan area. The initiative, led by the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) in partnership with Airspace Link’s AirHub® Portal and regional public safety stakeholders, combines operational airspace coordination, distributed radar coverage, radio frequency (RF)-based drone detection, and situational awareness features to support security operations across multiple jurisdictions and operational environments ahead of the tournament.
- DroneShield’s role within the deployment is as the main detection and threat response layer, supporting multi-site airspace awareness workflows through RF sensing, sensor fusion, operational coordination, and counter-UAS capabilities.
- The deployment is designed for complex urban environments where authorized drone operations, public safety aviation activity, media coverage, and potential unauthorized drone activity may occur simultaneously.
- The system supports coordinated airspace awareness and operational response across these overlapping activities throughout the broader security environment.
Tom Adams, Director of Public Safety at DroneShield, and a retired FBI agent with 20 years specializing in counterterrorism and public safety, said: “Ten years ago, most cities weren’t thinking about drone threats at this scale, Kansas City is now helping pioneer a layered airspace security model built for the realities of modern urban environments.”
“Protecting FIFA World Cup 2026 requires a new level of airspace coordination,” added Major Greg Williams of the Kansas City Police Department. “Kansas City is building a long-term framework that helps public safety agencies safely manage growing drone activity across the metro area.”
Urban Airspace Monitoring Deployment
The deployment incorporates radar technologies from Echodyne alongside DroneShield’s detection and monitoring capabilities, creating a multi-layer airspace monitoring system intended to support continuous monitoring across the broader operational environment. Together, the participating organizations are establishing a coordinated operational framework designed to support airspace awareness, drone detection, authorized drone operations, and public safety response activities ahead of a major sporting event.
Unlike single-site security deployments, Kansas City’s approach emphasizes continuous regional airspace awareness across multiple operational areas and jurisdictions, reflecting requirements for multi-area airspace monitoring systems supporting event security and public safety operations.
“Maintaining visibility across complex urban airspace environments requires persistent awareness and layered sensing capabilities that can support dynamic operational conditions,” said Eben Frankenberg, CEO at Echodyne. “Kansas City represents an important 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.”
“What Kansas City is building is larger than a World Cup security deployment. This is foundational infrastructure for the future of coordinated urban drone operation,” said Michael Healander, Co-Founder, President, and CEO of Airspace Link.