US Needs Integrated Air Defense System for Soccer Event

The US Army is preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing threats from state actors probing Western defenses, transnational terrorist networks, or radicalized individuals. The threat is unprecedented in scale, but existing defense capabilities are available. Empowering Joint Interagency Task Force 401 with a NORAD-lite authority could provide situational awareness and enable a coordinated response across sixteen host cities.