DroneShield Ltd (ASX: DRO) shares are edging lower on Thursday.
At the time of writing, the counter drone technology company's shares are down 1% to $3.13.
This follows the release of an announcement relating to its protection of the FIFA World Cup in the United States.
Image source: Getty Images
DroneShield shares in focus following FIFA World Cup update
The company has announced that it is expanding urban airspace security capabilities ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026 through a regional multi-site deployment. This is designed to support persistent low-altitude airspace awareness across the Kansas City metropolitan area.
According to the release, the initiative combines operational airspace coordination, distributed radar coverage, radio frequency (RF)-based drone detection, and integrated situational awareness capabilities to help support security operations across multiple jurisdictions and operational environments ahead of the tournament.
It is being led by the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) in partnership with Airspace Link's AirHub Portal, and regional public safety stakeholders.
DroneShield advised that its role will be the primary detection and threat response layer. It will support multi-site airspace awareness workflows through RF sensing, sensor fusion, operational coordination, and counter-UAS capabilities.
It notes the deployment is designed for complex urban environments where authorised drone operations, public safety aviation activity, media coverage, and potential unauthorised drone activity may occur simultaneously.
The system supports coordinated airspace awareness and operational response across these overlapping activities throughout the broader security environment.
Pioneering a layered airspace security model
DroneShield's director of public safety, and a retired FBI agent with 20 years specialising in counterterrorism and public safety, Tom Adams, commented:
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.
Major Greg Williams from the Kansas City Police Department added:
Protecting FIFA World Cup 2026 requires a new level of airspace coordination. Kansas City is building a long-term framework that helps public safety agencies safely manage growing drone activity across the metro area.
The release also notes that the deployment incorporates radar technologies from Echodyne alongside DroneShield's detection and operational awareness capabilities. This is creating a layered airspace security architecture intended to support persistent visibility across the broader operational environment.
Eben Frankenberg, CEO at Echodyne, commented:
Maintaining visibility across complex urban airspace environments requires persistent awareness and layered sensing capabilities that can support dynamic operational conditions. 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.
DroneShield shares are still up over 150% over the past 12 months.
