C-UAS Systems – A Year In Perspective By Julian Nettlefold

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In this Feature, we give a snapshot of new developments in C-UAS technology, legislation and procurement across the world.

 

Introduction

 

Hardly a day goes by without media coverage of UAV strikes across the word in the Middle East, Asia and now our screens and channels are jammed with details of UAV attacks on Kyiv and Moscow and how technology is evolving to defeat these armed, non-armed and surveillance UAVs. Safety in urban areas has spurned non-kinetic defeat systems whilst the battlefield requires concentrated kinetic systems to defeat swarms of armed UAVs small medium or large.

In the military domain, the war in Ukraine has become a war of attrition, where the onus is on deploying large numbers of affordable front-line tactical C-UAS systems to defeat early generation UAVS, rather than reacting to new drone threats which have suddenly appeared on the battlefield, such as autonomous swarming attacks. Although some commentators see the emergence of drone-on-drone combat in Ukraine as the start of a new era of air warfare, most government investment in new C-UAS capabilities – in the public domain at least – does not appear to be in intercept drones or net capture systems but in areas such as direct energy or C-UAS anti-swarm capabilities.

The world armies are pouring billions into C-UAS technology and acquisition, thus, given the urgency to purchase the technology, new speedier acquisition processes, particularly in the USA are being developed. Running in parallel with this are the laws and processes required to deal with this new threat.

As small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) or drones become easier to acquire, automate and fly, these are increasingly being harnessed by bad actors intent on using them for nefarious purposes. Compact, discreet and remote-controlled, drones can be a powerful tool for illegal surveillance, smuggling contraband or attaching dangerous payloads, making them a significant threat to public safety. Such proliferating threats pose a difficult challenge for military, security and law enforcement personnel. The ability to detect, track and identify drones is imperative to help operators regulate and manage these threats, determine intent and respond appropriately.

This US DDS quote sums up the current situation well, “Small UAS (sUAS) are a threat both domestically and overseas. The global sUAS industry is rapidly evolving and introducing new sUAS into the market daily. Enabling the warfighter to utilize this cutting edge technology in the field and in support of base-defense is essential to DoD operations and countering this threat. Performance of this development requires unique labor, tools, parts, and software; often solutions need to be urgently fielded to meet the needs of the warfighter.”

The US DoD expressed similar concerns, “However, DOD has long noted a gap—sometimes called “the valley of death”—between its development and its acquisition communities that impede technology transition. For example, the acquisition community may require a higher level of technology maturity than the development community is able to produce. For prototypes that a military department expects to eventually transition to a new or existing acquisition program, it needs to identify a transition partner that can support the further development of the new technology. To support transition, the Army developed a detailed plan describing schedules and stakeholder roles to build supporting activities around the use of directed energy weapons and early capabilities documents. However, while the Navy fielded several directed energy weapon prototypes and identified a potential transition partner, it does not have documented transition agreements for the directed energy programs that GAO reviewed. The Air Force has not consistently prioritized establishing transition partners, which makes planning for future transition even more challenging. Without these transition planning steps, the Navy and Air Force risk developing directed energy weapons that may be misaligned with operational needs.”

In this Feature, we take a snapshot of international developments in C-UAS policy, strategies and technologies over the past year to demonstrate the ongoing and growing threat of small and large Unmanned Air Systems.

 

International Policies, Laws, Industry Collaborations, and Research

December Developments

South Korea to spend $440m until 2027 to counter North Korea drones. South Korea plans to spend 560bn won ($441.26m) over the next five years to beef up its ability to fend off North Korean drones. The plan was included in South Korea’s midterm defence blueprint for 2023-27 after North Korean drones crossed into the South in the first such intrusion since 2017. The ministry earmarked the funds for four projects aimed at bolstering counter-drone capabilities, including an airborne laser to destroy drones and a jammer to neutralise smaller devices. The blueprint also included a plan to add another drone unit in the army, which operates two squadrons.

“The laser weapon programme is in a testing phase and expected to begin deployment in 2027,” a ministry official said. “The ‘soft-kill’ type jamming system would improve our response capability against small drones.”  (Source: Reuters)

 

Threat posed by drone swarms highlighted in recent national defence act passed by Congress. Flight Global reports that Congress believes the US military needs to find better ways to combat drones on the battlefield. According to the news report, lawmakers think the Department of Defense (DoD) needs to pay more attention to the threat posed by so-called swarms of cheap, commercially available drones, and develop technologies to counter them.

“The 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which governs DoD policy for the coming year, directs the Pentagon to conduct an investigation into how swarms of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) could be used by Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and non-state groups to endanger US military facilities. While individual drones are typically remotely piloted by a human operator, swarms concepts feature dozens of small aircraft flown and controlled by artificial intelligence, with minimal input from a human overseer. The 2023 NDAA passed by Congress on 15 December pays special attention to the threat of drone swarms, directing the Pentagon to conduct “analysis of the national security implications of swarming technologies such as autonomous intelligence and machine learning”. If the bill is signed into law by President Biden, DoD leaders would also be required to develop technical systems to counter such swarms and incorporate such a capability into the department’s existing military strategy. Although UAS manufactured specifically for military use have been an important force on the battlefield for the past two decades, consumer quadcopters and other commercial-off-the-shelf drones have proliferated into war zones in recent years. Both the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the ongoing Russo-Ukraine War have featured heavy use of such platforms for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, artillery spotting and even modified offensive operations using after-market modifications. Such platforms are typically too small and slow moving to be countered by traditional air defence systems. The concept of massing a large number of small, difficult-to-kill drones holds particular appeal to military planners. The US Army and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are both exploring how such swarms can be used for battlefield tasks including surveillance, signal transmission and minefield emplacement. The head of US Special Operations Command in August described cheap and widely available UAS as having the potential to disrupt the global military order,” reports Flight Global. For more information visit: www.flightglobal.com (Source: )

 

February Developments

 

US Army seeks C-UAS industry whitepapers to support Technology Gateway event. Army Futures Command (AFC) is looking to expand the Army’s ability to experiment, evolve, and deliver technologies in real time to address both urgent and emerging threats and expedite critical capabilities to the field to meet Combatant Commanders’ needs. In partnership with RCCTO, AFC DEVCOM is hosting its next Technology Gateway experimentation event anticipated to begin in October 2023 and requesting whitepapers from interested participants.

One of the key areas of interest for the AFC is “State-of-the-art Means to Defeat Targeting and Delivery Capabilities of Precision Munitions (Including Loitering Munitions & UAS)”

According to the announcement: “Technology Gateway is a collaborative experiment between industry partners and the Army, intended to enable collective innovation and identify novel technology capabilities that will help the Army achieve its modernization goals. It provides Industry, a structured opportunity to demonstrate their technologies to Government representatives in a controlled and operationally relevant environment. It is part of Army Futures Command’s Project Convergence campaign of learning, which is designed to aggressively advance and integrate the Army’s contributions to the Joint and Multi-national Force for convergence effects across all domains (air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace) to overmatch U.S. adversaries. Technology Gateway includes a series of experiments and observations in simulated battlefield environments. Hosted by Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), Technology Gateway activities will set the conditions for collective innovation and further experimentation in both basic research and applied science and technology with industry partners. Whitepapers for participation in Technology Gateway 2023 can be submitted through a single-entry point… in response to Army priorities as outlined in this call. Submissions will undergo a 2-step evaluation process. Step 1 (Technical Merit Reviews): Subject matter experts from across AFC will provide Technical Merit Reviews (TMRs) based on the evaluation criteria as detailed below. Step 2 (Operational Merit Reviews): Following a down-select based on TMR evaluation results, select whitepapers will be invited to participate in virtual Technical Exchange Meetings (TEMs) with the Government team to discuss operational requirements and experiment alignment. Qualifying companies will be invited to participate in Technology Gateway 2023 based on the final Operational Merit Review.”

DEVCOM solicited organizations with new and innovative technology in the below challenge areas, as aligned with Army Modernization Priorities. Areas of specific interest for Technology Gateway 2023 include Network and Joint Contested Logistics.

• Innovative Means for Reconnoitring and Securing Far Side of Wet Gap Crossing
• Emerging Capabilities to Autonomously Deliver Large Quantities of Supplies at Scale (1000s of Gallons of Fuel Simultaneously)
• Management of Autonomous Systems to Provide Effective and Efficient Capabilities at Scale (100s of Autonomous Capabilities Simultaneously)
• Advanced Means to Control Erosion and Prevent Degradation of Near and Far Side Terrain
• State-of-the-art Means to Defeat Targeting and Delivery Capabilities of Precision Munitions (Including Loitering Munitions & UAS)
• Innovative Ways to Conduct Multi-Domain Obscuration and Maneuver in an “Unblinking” Environment
• Emerging Means to Protect Forces from Threat Electro-Magnetic Warfare Capabilities

 

US Army seeks C-UAS capability as part of its PGS personal weapon system. The US Army’s Contracting Command – New Jersey at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000  conducted a market survey/sources sought notice to identify potential sources for a Precision Grenadier System (PGS), a man portable integrated weapon system that enables precision engagements to destroy personnel targets in defilade and in the open with increased lethality and precision compared to the legacy M203/M320 grenade launchers.

“The PGS will provide overmatch to comparable threat grenade launchers in near peer formations in future operating environments (jungle, urban, woodland, subterranean, desert, day/night/obscured),” according to the tender document in www.sam.gov US government contracting website. “The PGS is envisioned to consist of a weapon, a fire control, and a suite of ammunition which enables the user to engage targets in defilade/cover, hovering UAS targets, conduct door breaching, engage close combat targets, and light armored targets.”

The Government was interested in receiving information on the attributes that can be achieved:

1.  System Survivability:  The system and its ammunition should be capable of functioning in cold, ambient, and hot conditions at all humidity conditions and be survivable and operational after exposure to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear exposure (CBRNE) to include effects of electromagnetic pulse and cyber-attacks.
2.  System Effectiveness:  Ability to achieve a high probability of incapacitation given a shot from the minimum engagement distance to 500 meters (desired) against unprotected personnel targets in defilade/cover and stationary exposed targets.
3.  Engagement Times:  Time to engage target is desired to be ≤ 5 seconds from decision to engage to trigger pull for a target out to 500 meters.  After trigger pull, time of flight is desired to be no greater than 3 seconds to 500 meters.
4.  Length:  Overall system length is desired to be less than 34 inches.
5.  System Weight:  System weight is desired to be less than 14.5lbs.
6.  Target Acquisition:  Ability to acquire targets with a high Probability of Recognition given a detection out to a range of 500 meters in clear air during day and nighttime conditions and a high Probability of Recognition given a detection out to a range of at least 300 meters in obscurants is desired.
7.  Powerless/Degraded Operation:  The system provides the ability to continue the fight and engage targets even when the fire control has no power or becomes damaged and inoperable is desired.

 

March Developments

 

EUROCAE, RTCA meet to align standards for non-cooperative counter-UAS detection systems. European standards organisation EUROCAE in its latest newsletter reports that its WG-115 and RTCA SC-238 Counter-UAS have held a joint working and plenary meeting at EUROCAE in hybrid format, with 17 members joining across the two days.

“WG-115/SC-238 is working to develop System Performance Requirements for non-cooperative UAS detection systems, as well as Interoperability Requirements for Counter UAS systems,” says the organisation. “The members continued the development of the documents, noting that additional expert input will be needed for the INTEROP document, in particular. The plenary meeting participants were also pleased to appoint Assaf Monsa as the new chairperson of WG-115.”

 

Dublin airport “needs new powers or new State agency to deal with drones. Drones causing disruptions at airports is a statewide issue that needs to be tackled with new legislation, a State agency responsible for managing counter drone technology and harsher sentences.” according to a tweet from DAA, the company that runs Dublin Airport in Ireland. The remark came after the airport suspended flight operations on March 2 for 30 minutes as a result of drone activity in the area.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has suggested the airport be given the powers itself to take down drones that threaten business continuity.

“This is completely unacceptable,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme. “Dublin Airport is the only major EU airport that for six times in the last six weeks has been shut by illegal drone activity,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme. About 20,000 people had been affected by the disruption, he said. “The solution to this is reasonably easy….we don’t want 15-year jail sentences. We want Dublin Airport to have the power to disable drones. Most European Airports, Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Schiphol, all have anti-drone technology. It’s not expensive. It costs about USD100,000 and it is operated by airport police.”

 

UK moves to next stage in delivering Project Synergia C-UAS systems to military bases. The next stage of the UK’s Project Synergia counter-UAS system to protect UK military bases from drone attacks was handed over to the UK’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) in-service delivery team. According to the DE&S Desider publication: “Project Synergia was originally procured as a research and development programme in response to the threats posed by uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).”

Managed by DE&S’ Future Capabilities Group (FCG), Project Synergia, the counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) study is considered of high importance to national security and a means of further protecting UK military operating bases from hostile drone activity. Using technology delivered by Leonardo, it will enable the RAF to establish the most effective way to detect, track, identify and defeat hostile drones, as well as evaluate a range of capabilities including advanced radar, electro-optic and radio frequency sensors, and counter-measures.

“The system has been deployed for use in operations and used in the UK for Military Aid to Civilian Authorities (MACA). FCG have transitioned the capability to the Joint Sensor and Engagement Networks (JSENS) delivery team, meaning that the equipment can now be incorporated into the DE&S supply chain.”

In September 2020 Leonardo delivered the first of four complete baseline counter-drone systems to the Royal Air Force as part of the programme. “The RAF will also maintain the ORCUS system as an upgraded national standby capability, to be rapidly deployed anywhere in the country in support of emergency services in the event of a drone-based crisis,” according to Leonardo. “The modular systems provided by Leonardo for the study will allow the RAF to evaluate a range of capabilities including advanced radar, electro-optic and radio frequency sensors and an electronic attack countermeasure. In due course, further systems will be integrated for testing and evaluation. Throughout, RAF Force Protection operators will be examining the most effective ways to detect, track, identify and defeat rogue drones. In the long-run, the research and development programme will inform the requirements for a core RAF counter-drone capability.”

 

Market Forecast publishes counter drone market and technology forecast to 2030. Market Forecast has published its latest counter uncrewed aerial vehicles (C-UAV) systems market and technology forecast to 2030.

Covered in this report

• Overview: Snapshot of the C-UAV Market during 2022 – 2030, including highlights of the demand drivers, trends, and challenges. It also provides a snapshot of the procurement plans concerning regions as well as components, types, and platforms. It sheds light on the emergence of new platforms like 3D and 4D AESA radars, SDRs, and COTS software to seamlessly operate multi-vendor and multi-layer sensors and mitigation systems and emerging technologies such as machine learning algorithms.
• Market Dynamics: Insights into the technological developments in the detection sensors and low-cost UAV mitigation solutions such as directed-energy weapon systems and handheld guns and integration of emerging technologies changing preferences of soldier lethality, connectivity and performance metrics around the world. It also analyzes changing industry procurement structure and the challenges faced by the industry participants.
• Segment Analysis: Insights into the C-UAV Market from a segmental perspective and a detailed analysis of factors influencing the market for each segment.
• Regional Review: Insights into present C-UAV developments status and future developments for top countries within a region.
• Regional Analysis: Insights into the C-UAV Market from a regional perspective and a detailed analysis of factors influencing the market for each region.
• Trend Analysis – Key Defense Market: Analysis of the key markets in each region, providing an analysis of the C-UAV systems expected to be initiated in each region.
• Competitive landscape analysis: Analysis of the competitive landscape of the global public and private industries participating in the development, testing, and fielding of various programmes under the soldier modernization drive. It provides an overview of key companies, together with insights such as product range, strategic partnerships and SWOT analysis.

 

Securiton Germany and D-Fend Solutions collaborate to deliver drone detection in Germany. Counter drone company D-Fend has partnered with Securiton Germany to provide drone detection and defence solutions in Germany. The collaboration will leverage Securiton’s expertise in security systems and D-Fend Solutions’ advanced RF cyber-takeover technology. The solutions resulting from this partnership will provide comprehensive coverage from ground to air to mitigate drone threats in German airspace.

According to the press release, Securiton takes over direct sales and marketing for Germany as well as conception, planning, technology and support of the drone security systems. D-Fend focuses on research, development and innovation of the state-of-the-art drone takeover product Enforce Air.

They combined their strengths and merged next-gen sensors for drone detection and defense with Securiton’s award-winning C2 software solution into a comprehensive system for 3D object and perimeter security, which one would call ‘dome security’ – complete coverage of the ground to air. There is nothing else on the market like this, says enthusiastic Jochen Geiser, product manager for drone security at Securiton.

RF Cyber ​​is the name of the technology behind Enforce Air from D-Fend. Additionally embedded in Securiton’s perimeter management system, it creates a product family that detects and also fends off stationary or mobile drones, depending on requirements.

he Securidrone Fortress system in its various variants includes the 3D UAS detection and tracking solutions, the early and false alarm-free detection of possible threats with quick assessment. This creates a path from threat detection, classification, tracking, identification and verification to the deployment of appropriate countermeasures, such as the controlled takeover of the drone.

Instead of an operator, alarm zones with an automated workflow are stored. The probability of possible collateral damage is reduced, and the technology is designed not to affect other communication systems. Authorized drones are also identified (friend/foe recognition).

 

Authorities in Israel permitted to close lower airspace for drone operations accompanied by UTM services. A new law passed in Israel allows local and national authorities to temporarily close lower airspaces to facilitate official, large-scale drone operations. As part of the ruling, authorities that choose to invoke this power will have to use an approved UTM system.

The new law is intended to ensure public safety during emergencies and planned events. As such, the Civil Aviation Authority Israel (CAAI) has recognized that operating under a UTM system is necessary to coordinate drone flights, prevent collisions and crashes, and stop privately-owned drones from interfering in official operations.

The CAAI has approved a number of UTM service providers. High Lander’s Universal UTM is among those selected as an approved provider. High Lander works closely with the CAAI as part of the INDI drone initiative.

 

Thales and French start-up Drone XTR link to offer C-UAS and UTM services. Thales and Drone XTR have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide an integrated solution for drone detection.

“Nearly 2,500,000 drones have been registered in France in 2021,” says Thales. “The proliferation of drones in the airspace raises security challenges to prevent accidents or even malicious acts from occurring. ​ As one of the top three countries in the world in terms of drone solutions, France relies on a highly experienced ecosystem to secure the growing airspace. As part of this effort, Thales is partnering with Drone XTR to address emerging needs and offer the best possible solution to the customer in terms of airspace detection and management.”

Drone XTR is a French start-up which has been developing electronic signal detection capabilities, enabling the detection of most signal-emitting UAVs. Coupled with the TopSky – UAS solution from Thales, this offer allows users to discriminate between authorized and unauthorized flights but also locate the pilot if needed.

“This solution will be capable of detecting drone intrusions, transmitting information (digital evidence and the position of the pilot) in order to alert the relevant authorities to neutralize the threat. ​ As part of this agreement, Thales and Drone XTR will also work together to pursue commercial opportunities in the field of UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) and surveillance.”

 

European Commission requests industry feedback to a drone threat communication.

Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs – D.2 is developing a Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the subject of EU security – countering threats from drones. The Commission asked for feedback from industry between 06 March 2023 – 03 April 2023 (midnight Brussels time)

Key items from the Commission’s plans are outlined below:

“This Communication will set out a European counter-drone framework to tackle potential threats from drones. Building on existing activities at EU level, it will propose key actions to expand cooperation on: (i) community building and information sharing; (ii) practical guidance; (iii) operational support and funding; (iv) counter-drone systems testing (and potential harmonisation or standardisation); and (v) leveraging research & innovation. It will also start a mapping study to identify the possible need for regulatory measures. To achieve this, the Communication will give an overview of the current threats and technological developments that need to be monitored. It will describe what cooperation at EU level already exists in the areas listed above and what gaps remain. It will set out how to tackle those gaps by introducing a set of key actions to be implemented by set deadlines.

“These measures will be drawn up using: (i) the results of previous cooperation, such as workshops and the existing EU C-UAS Interest Group; (ii) results of projects; (iii) feedback from Member States and other stakeholders; and (iv) the results of targeted consultation. The Communication will then bring the different parts and key actions together into a fully fledged counter-drone framework, allowing for an anticipatory and innovation-supported EU approach to counter-drone threats. Along with the Communication, two new ‘Protection against unmanned aircraft systems’ handbooks will be published, thus creating a comprehensive counter-drone package. Preventing the unauthorised use of UAS is necessary so that their legitimate use can reach its full potential. UAS are innovative tools that can be used for many legitimate purposes; however, if access to them is uncontrolled, they can also be used maliciously. Incidents involving UAS have become more frequent inside and outside the EU. These incidents include organised criminal activities, attacks on public spaces, individuals and critical infrastructure, and unauthorised entry of UAS owned and operated by non-EU countries in Member States’ airspace. While the EU has regulated the legitimate use of drones, there are no specific EU rules and guidelines on countering their unauthorised or criminal use. EU security authorities should be able to adopt counter-UAS solutions to better respond to threats from UAS in the EU. To protect society against malicious and non-cooperative drones, law enforcement and public and private operators must have lawful access to affordable and reliable counter-measure technologies that enable flexible solutions adapted to the threat level and operating situation. There is also an important defence aspect in using counter-UAS systems. UAS have been increasingly used in several regional conflicts lately. Non-state actors are challenging our security, both on EU territory and beyond, for instance by increasing use of drones and new technologies’. EU programmes, such as Horizon Europe, the European Defence Fund and their precursors, have been supporting research and innovation in UAS and counter-UAS technologies. The potential of civil-defence synergies is also important. The EU drone strategy 2.0 recognised the importance of ‘reaping synergies between civil and military use of drones and drone-related technologies, including counterdrone solutions to detect and mitigate threats posed by drone operations.” This initiative aims to present ways for harnessing potential synergies from the use of civil and military drone technologies.”

For more information: https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/internal-security/counter-terrorism-and-radicalisation/protection_en

 

Dubai Police & RAFAEL Collaborating on C-UAS Security. Dubai Police is collaborating with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. in addressing regional UAS challenges and strengthening security of valued assets through the utilization of multiple different technologies and systems.  The two sides have agreed to engage in a program to utilize the DRONE DOME for the Dubai Police’s air defense needs. RAFAEL’s teams and the Unmanned Aerial Systems Center of Dubai Police will collaborate in the field of Counter UAS. Both parties have agreed to continue this collaboration so as to ensure that the Dubai Police can continue to offer high level security services through operating state of the art C-UAS technologies.

 

US STRIKEWERX held industry workshop in May to address counter small UAS challenges. STRIKEWERX – an organisation of the US AFGSC Office of the Chief Scientist, “connecting people and resources across government, industry and academia to solve Air Force Global Strike Command’s most difficult problems” and Air Force Global Strike Command are researching the latest technology to stop small unmanned aerial systems with their new Challenge event. To accomplish this goal, STRIKEWERX is hosting a special workshop at the Cyber Innovation Center in Bossier City, Louisiana, for approximately 50 industry, academia and government experts May 4-5. That group will collaborate with AFGSC subject matter experts to define the problem and shape the solutions sought for the challenge.  Following this workshop, an eight-week solution submission period will open for industry, small business, solopreneurs and academia. AFGSC evaluators will then identify the top submissions. An in-person showcase of those submissions will be held at the Cyber Innovation Center for AFGSC evaluators to identify the best ideas for further development into prototypes. If the prototypes prove beneficial, they could be scaled for operational use.

 

What is the Best Drone Defeat Technique? What technique best defeats rogue drones? This question has surged into importance as threats from drones—becoming more and more capable and accessible—continue to increase dramatically. Counter-drone technologies are evolving quickly to stay ahead of the threat, offering capabilities to detect, identify, track—and sometimes defeat—rogue drones using various technologies. Whether to include a defeat capability in a counter-drone installation—and if so, which type—poses a special challenge due to the diversity of defeat technologies and the complex regulatory and liability environment. In many operational scenarios, drone defeat can be overkill, with optimal protection provided by a passive, undetectable solution that reliably detects, identifies and locates drones and their operators for immediate response by security personnel. Such solutions generally rely on passive Radio Frequency Direction Finding sensors, sometimes supplemented by day/night optical and thermal cameras.

When operationally required, drone defeat technologies fall into two broad categories. Hard-kill defeat, primarily in the domain of military applications, physically destroys or disables the drone but risks collateral injury or damage. Soft-kill defeat safely renders the drone harmless by disrupting its use of the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum.

Most drones rely on RF to send and receive operator control signals, transmit their video feed and navigate via GPS and other satellite constellations. Two soft-kill RF-disruption techniques have emerged: RF cyber takeover and RF jamming. Each brings advantages and disadvantages, yet the two could be complementary for specific high-threat applications.

RF cyber takeover relies on previous reverse-engineering of the stream of commands—if unencrypted—sent between the operator and a specific make or model of drone. When that drone is encountered again, the solution manipulates the RF protocol to override the drone operator’s commands with its own. When it works, the results are impressive: complete control over the drone that can, for example, force it to land in a safe location. This capability can make RF cyber takeover a worthwhile addition to a layered counter-drone defeat component.

However, because of its weaknesses, there are risks in relying on RF cyber takeover as the sole defeat component:

1. It’s strictly library-based, and a novel drone communicating using an unknown protocol will be immune.
2. Drones with encrypted controller communications will be immune.
3. The solution is susceptible to manufacturer protocol changes; the solution may become ineffective until manufacturer updates are once again reverse-engineered—unless the manufacturer adds encryption, in which case that drone will become immune.
4. Such solutions frequently control rogue drones only serially—one at a time—taking seconds or sometimes minutes per drone, making them less effective against swarming drone threats.
5. When a technique is ineffective against a particular class of drones, as with cyber takeover’s inability to defeat encrypted-communications drones, bad actors have demonstrated the real-world ability to quickly learn and adapt by switching drone models.

Legal considerations: if the cyber takeover system also relies on communications interception and decoding for a detection component, it falls afoul of specific wiretapping laws like those in the United States. It would therefore be unlawful to use, even for detection only, except by authorized agencies during special national security events.

The other soft-kill RF disruption technique, RF signal jamming, can sever three different RF links needed for a drone to remain effective: the operator-to-drone command stream, the drone-to-operator First-Person Video (FPV) stream, and/or the Global Navigational Satellite System (GNSS) reception the drone relies upon for wayfinding.

Depending on the make and model of the drone, jamming the GNSS reception or command stream will result in the drone slowly landing, returning to home, or hovering until battery depletion and then slowly landing. In any event, once jamming is activated, the drone threat is neutralized. Because RF signal jamming doesn’t depend on signature libraries or previous reverse engineering, it reliably defeats a much broader array of drone makes and models while remaining unaffected by manufacturer updates to their protocols or signal encryption. It is much more likely to instantly neutralize a more comprehensive array of drones than RF cyber takeover, plus it simultaneously neutralizes all drones in a swarm.

Selected and deployed correctly, RF signal jamming technologies minimize unwanted collateral effects, for example, in airport environments. Jamming the operator-to-drone control signal defeats most drones, making airport-unfriendly GNSS jamming unnecessary. Today’s RF signal jamming can target its effects to 90-degree quadrants, while imminent advancements will make it surgical, limiting the effects to specific targets. Finally, quick defeat means RF signal jamming needs to be activated only briefly.

Choosing a Solution

Organizations considering adding soft-kill drone defeat to their counter-drone system can inform their decision by carefully weighing their threat profile against each drone-defeat technique’s costs, strengths and weaknesses. For example, many organizations may be better served by investing in a robust, passive drone-detection system rather than drone defeat.

When RF-based drone defeat is needed—and legally permissible—then the pros and cons of the two RF defeat techniques bear consideration. For example, is it acceptable to sacrifice the ability to defeat certain drones, as cyber takeover does, with the benefit of being able to redirect the remaining supported subset of drones? Or is it better to more-reliably neutralize a wider array of drones, as signal jamming does, and minimize the opportunities for bad actors to adapt and evade by switching drone models?

Organizations with the highest threat profiles may invest in both defeat technologies as part of a layered defense. If a rogue drone can’t be controlled by cyber takeover, then it could be defeated by signal jamming.

 

North Dakota announces additional BVLOS waivers, promotes C-UAS research. Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven has updated leaders from the Grand Forks community, the University of North Dakota (UND), and the area’s unmanned aerial systems (UAS) industry on the latest status of the region’s unmanned sector. According to his office, he
• Announced that that, at his urging, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA):
• Has approved beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) waivers for UAS flights in the region utilizing enhanced radar software.
• Will approve an additional waiver to allow the test site to host UAS flights for additional companies.
• Outlined the economic impact of Sky Range, the hypersonic missile testing program at Grand Sky.
• Discussed opportunities for the Grand Forks region to help secure the nation’s airspace against the threat of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP).

Securing BVLOS Waivers

Specifically, the waivers secured by Hoeven support BVLOS flights conducted by the Northern Plains UAS Test Site and General Atomics, utilizing enhanced radar software. The software upgrades improve the safety and security of BVLOS flights, but required a new waiver from the FAA before being deployed. New BVLOS waivers face a lengthy approval process, and Hoeven worked to accelerate these approvals based on North Dakota’s strong track record of safe UAS operations.

Hoeven also said he is pursuing a separate waiver that will make it easier for companies to test their aircraft at North Dakota’s test site:
• der current FAA rules, a UAS must be designated for public rather than commercial use in order to fly, even when operating under the supervision of a UAS test site.
• This restricts the companies’ ability to establish a safe operating record, which is required in order to fly UAS in the broader national airspace.
• The waiver being advanced by Hoeven would allow many companies to work within the airspace governed by North Dakota’s test site without needing a public designation, giving the state an even greater competitive edge in the UAS industry.

Economic Impact of Sky Range

Following his efforts to establish the Test Resource Management Center’s (TRMC) Sky Range program at Grand Sky, Hoeven has continued working to ensure the program moves forward and is fully funded. The program is anticipated to bring to Grand Forks:
• USD2bn in market value for the Global Hawk fleet that was transferred to Grand Sky.
• More than USD100m of additional construction at Grand Sky.
• More than USD300m in annual operations budget, which would include efforts by Northrop Grumman to convert the Global Hawks into Range Hawks for hypersonic missile testing.

Addressing the Threat of UAPs

During the meeting, Hoeven discussed the need for partnerships to improve domain awareness and ensure the nation’s airspace is secure against a variety of threats. The senator stressed how defense agencies could achieve this goal by leveraging North Dakota’s leadership in UAS and its enhanced radar systems, among other assets. The discussion builds on a recent meeting where Hoeven outlined Grand Forks’ capabilities and assets to General Glen VanHerck, Commander of the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), including:
• The early warning radar at Cavalier Space Force Station.
• The RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 40, based at Grand Forks Air Force Base.
• The MQ-9 Reaper, based at Hector Field in Fargo.
• An MQ-9 variant flown by Customs and Border Protection out of Grand Forks.
• Expanded radar coverage of North Dakota airspace in support of unmanned aircraft operations near Grand Forks and eventually across the state.
• Partnerships through the Northern Plains UAS Test Site.
• UND’s research and development of counter-UAS measures.

European security agencies developing common methodologies for C-UAS protection of U-space/critical infrastructure. INTERPOL will publish in June this year the results of its testing a range of counter-UAS systems at Oslo airport as part of a wider strategy to develop a standardised testing methodology which will feed into European Union (EU) funded Project Courageous, which focuses on creating a European wide framework for the selection, testing and assessment of drone countermeasures for law enforcement.

Meanwhile, In its work to develop a risk analysis for counter-UAS protection of critical infrastructure the JRC is developing common criteria for aligning C-UAS solutions based on an analysis of risk, according to Paul Hansen, Project Manager, EC JRC Transport and Border Security. The risk will vary between a nuclear plant, a water purification centre and a Christmas market, “so we advise that infrastructure managers make their risk analysis depending on their needs, and not simply via an excel spreadsheet.” It will produce a handbook for C-UAS protection of critical infrastructure later this year.

Every geo-zone around a critical infrastructure (the wide “early warning” zone, the “action” zone where the risk is mitigated and the “protected” zone, the critical infrastructure itself) needs a counter UAS system, he said, and they will all need to be integrated. The placement of sensors is critical – the further apart the better the triangulation. “Typically in counter terrorism actions within 20 minutes the event is over. Bad actors are now sending up canary drones to see what happens and 2km is around 120 seconds for a drone flight.”

 

April Developments

 

Japan expands counter drone capability with new electronic warfare unit. According to an article published by Kyodo News, Japan continues to expand it electronic warfare capabilities in response to military build-up by China and Russia. A new unit has been established to managed related divisions across the country, based at Saitama Prefecture. The unit is tasked with detecting and analysing potential adversaries’ communications and radar emissions. It will also be responsible for disrupting enemy communications and radar if called upon, says the report. According to information published by The Defense Post, the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF) has established the unit to “detect, analyse, and disrupt adversary electromagnetic communication and radar signals.” Military units are equipped with vehicle-mounted network electronic warfare systems (NEWS) to jam enemy radio waves in an integrated manner. The NEWS detects electromagnetic communication frequencies of aircraft and vessels around Japan during peacetime and is capable of detecting and jamming “enemy missiles, drones and other battlefield assets” during a conflict, says the newspaper.

 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Procurement Operations (OPO) issued a Request for Information (RFI) on behalf of the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), Office of Mission and Capability Support (MCS) for industry feedback into its market research into kinetic mitigation capabilities for countering small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS).  Results of this RFI will support two kinetic mitigation demonstrations scheduled for the summer of 2023 and summer 2024. The purpose of this request is to collect and evaluate the current state of the market for kinetic mitigation systems of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) which minimize collateral effects.

Research, test and evaluation, and operational evaluations of the counter-UAS (C-UAS) response chain (detect, track, identify, and mitigate) has informed the Department and operational Components of operational deficiencies and capability gaps in managing and responding to UAS operations. DHS Components already have needs for kinetic C-UAS operations, and those requirements are likely to increase as the threat from UASs evolve. This effort is designed to expand our knowledge of kinetic mitigation technologies and collateral effects. The primary DHS outcomes are to develop an understanding of current C-UAS kinetic mitigation capabilities, the inherent risks of using kinetic capabilities, and potential damage that may result from its use.

This RFI will be used to invite select capabilities to participate in two DHS funded sUAS

mitigation demonstrations. The demonstrations will focus on the following:

– Kinetic mitigation of Group 1 (0-20 lbs.) and Group 2 (21-55 lbs.) UASs.

– Develop scenarios or use cases in which kinetic mitigation could be used.

– Identify potential scenarios and outcomes from kinetic mitigation usage.

– Develop a methodology to measure and assess collateral effects.

– Establish and define risks of kinetic mitigation in the homeland security mission

space.

 

US DHS Security Secretary raises concerns over UAS threat, calls for greater oversight.

A US Senate committee hearing in the last week of March highlighted the threat posed by new technologies to national security, according to a report published by Next Gov.

During the committee hearing, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas discussed how emerging technologies can exacerbate and alleviate security threats. Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) pose a serious threat to national security, he said, noting that drones can be used to conduct attacks, disrupt airport operations, watch over mass gatherings, and transport illegal narcotics across borders. Mayorkas urged Congress to grant the DHS more authority to monitor UAS and to extend and expand its C-UAS authority. For more information visit: www.nextgov.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

The RAF is currently considering developing a centre of excellence for C-UAS expertise, where experts from throughout the service and even industry partners and academia could work collaboratively, according to Squadron Leader Dan Quale, Officer Commanding C-UAS Operations Evaluation Unit OEU, 2 C-UAS Wing Royal Air Force Leeming, speaking SAE Media Group’s Counter UAS Technology Europe Conference. The first military counter-UAS mitigation systems have been deployed in the UK, in Northern Ireland in support of the visit there by US President Joe Biden. In the UK, library-based C-UAS systems are fine for domestic deployments and should be fine for another year or two, where the main threat are nuisance drones, but for overseas, military deployments other technologies are required, he reported. A key challenge is to identify common features in different procurement programmes, he said.

 

The Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) has issued a new law, amending the 2020 Dubai drone law. The new legislation enhancing safety standards and clarifying the key role of the DCAA in setting standards, approvals and certifications for all aspects of drone infrastructure and operations, according to press coverage in the Middle East. Among issues addressed under the new law, there are approved criteria for the design and operation of drone airports and service provisions.  The DCAA is responsible for setting the standards and criteria for pre-qualifying and certifying contractors and consultants involved in constructing drone airports and their associated stations, facilities, and infrastructure. The new law No. (10) of 2023 was issued by the Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, on 18 April 2023.

 

The European Commission’s Counter-UAS package is taking shape, according to Valerio Liberatori, DG Home, Counter-Terrorism Unit, involving the Commission’s DG Move and DG Home Directorates, speaking at SAE Media Group’s Counter UAS Technology Europe Conference in London. The strategy is being supported by Joint Research Centres JRC GEEL and JRC ISPRA. The strategy is still at a provisional basis but will probably involve the following elements:

• Community-building and information sharing

The aim is for each national first responder unit will be able to cross the border and use their C-UAS tools to deal with drone intrusions incident. Within the strategy, the Commission will create an expert group which will help close the gap between industry and policy-makers. The strategy also envisages the creation of a digital drone incident platform, including classified data, which can be shared by authorised EU users.

• C-UAS systems testing

To build on the Courageous project – the strategy involves establishing a more structured programme, perhaps involving voluntary performance standards. One objective will be to compile an annual report on C-UAS technical developments.

• Practical guidance and operational support

The JRC’s role will be will develop publications on risk assessments of mitigation strategies.

• Funding support

Support could be substantial and could be in place for 2024.

• Research and innovation

The Commission will assess national research needs in the context of Horizon funding.

• Regulatory measures

There are current no specific EU counter drone measures, so one of the first actions will be a regulatory horizon scanning programme.

 

The Office of the US Under Secretary of Defense — Defense Digital Service (DDS) issued a request for information on supporting counter-UAS systems acquisition. Deadline for responses in May 3, 2023. 2023 C-UAS industry review: “forecasters underestimate market size and growth.” The last year has seen an unprecedented increase in counter-UAS spending (C-UAS), deployment and technology capability improvement, far beyond the estimates of most forecasters. On the civil side, new concepts such as C-UAS-as-a-service are maturing, where equipment manufacturers provide and integrate the hardware and software while end-users choose between several service levels depending on their budget. The first integrated UAS traffic management/C-UAS ecosystem technologies have entered the market; but while C-UAS capabilities have made exponential increases in capability there has been far less progress in developing the institutional arrangements for identifying which bodies should have the mandate to mitigate the problem of rogue drones once they have been identified.

The development of C-UAS as-a-service for both civil and military customers is transforming the industry in many ways.  Drone detection systems based in the cloud are making layered capabilities more affordable and scalable, obviating the need for airports and sports arena to buy expensive hardware and long-term software update contracts. As many cities around the world start work on developing drone and eVTOL services requiring a C-UAS capability the timing for the introduction of these services is propitious, although it remains to be seen what level of service delivery will satisfy regulators in their requirements for these ecosystems to be both safe and secure.

According to Statistica: Civilian C-UAS hardware costs USD5m for municipal airspace customers, with an annual subscription cost of USD1.7m in 2020. Other primary end-users of counter-drone solutions within the civilian market include airports, nuclear power plants, prisons, the oil & gas industry, and enterprise airspaces.

In the USA US DoD Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO) has accepted or recommended Rafael, SAIC and Liteye Systems, DroneShield and Black Sage as C-sUAS As A Service (CaaS) partners.

Wide-of-the-mark industry forecasts

At the start of 2023 Black Sage Technologies announced it has been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for C-UAS systems from the US Air Force, with a contract value of up to USD900m over a five-year period with options to extend up to ten years. According to Unmanned Airspace C-UAS contract award data, the US Department of Defense has awarded sales contracts of over USD1 bn in the last five months alone and poured several millions of dollars into furthering laser air defence research.

As most C-UAS contract sales data is confidential it is notoriously difficult to obtain exact costs of systems, as each sale varies considerably. According to the JCO: ground-based aerial denial systems should cost less than USD15,000 per drone engaged and for a hand-held capability, systems should cost less than USD37,000 per unit.  These are still substantial amounts. And with current rates of DoD spending, the average estimate of the C-UAS market for 2023 of USD1.76bn, taken from seven recent market forecasts, looks like a serious underestimate. The global annual expenditure rates of civil and military C-UAS systems, plus government investment in research and development, far more likely to be around the USD2.2bn mark for 2023 and at the upper end of growth forecasts.

 

May Developments

 

The FAA announced members of its UAS Detection and Mitigation Aviation Rulemaking Committee. Fifty-eight aviation stakeholders will soon develop recommendations for the expanded detection and mitigation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)., according to a press statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The ARC’s 58 members represent a diverse set of aviation stakeholders, including those from the UAS industry. The committee will begin its work in May and issue a final report in early 2024.

The UK published policy concept for beyond visual line of sight drone flights. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has developed a policy concept to develop how RPAS can be accommodated within airspace. A policy concept allows us to develop, assess, validate and refine a policy idea before it becomes formalised. The concept is part of the CAA’s Airspace Modernisation Strategy (AMS) which presents the roadmap for the development and modernisation of UK airspace until 2040. The CAA Innovation team is also running a sandbox trial for organisations or consortia to help develop and test the policy concept..

The policy concept applies to UK airspace and high seas airspace which lies within the London and Scottish flight information regions (FIR) and upper information regions (UIR). RPAS using the concept must be operating in the specific or certified categories.

This airspace policy concept sets out the use of Temporary Reserved Areas (TRA) of airspace, in conjunction with appropriate procedures and/or technology, to enable the managed integration of BVLOS RPAS flying with other airspace users.

The TRA is a defined volume of airspace that is temporarily reserved for a particular use which can be activated as and when required. It uses the classification of the airspace it is in but may also have additional requirements applied to enable the safe trialling or operation of aircraft within it. The TRA is managed by an air navigation service provider (ANSP) using an agreed ruleset when the TRA is active. It can also have a transponder mandatory zone (TMZ) or radio mandatory zone (RMZ) if required. The establishment and dis-establishment of a danger area (DA), temporary segregated area (TSA) and/or a temporary reserved area (TRA), and any associated airspace overlays (e.g. a TMZ), still requires an airspace change.  Change sponsors must consider the guidance contained within CAP 1616 Airspace Change.

In terms of determining a path through the accommodation phase towards integration, detect-and-avoid (DAA) systems (ground-based, air-based or a combination of both) are likely to be a critical enabling technology.  At this stage, electronic conspicuity is considered very likely to be an essential enabler for DAA and is therefore likely to be essential for operations within TRAs that are established for the purpose of integrating BVLOS operations.

Once it can be demonstrated that the developments are sufficiently mature and there is data available to support safety arguments, that will start to signal the closure of the accommodation phase.  We will then start to see RPAS integrated within standard classifications of UK airspace, permitting them to operate BVLOS without the need for additional requirements to be placed upon them to address their specific operating characteristics.

 

June Developments

 

Germany’s DLR aerospace centre launches C-UAS Demonstrator research project, tests neutralisation,

The Unmanned Aircraft Department at the DLR Institute of Flight Systems has released details of its research into technologies to ensure protection against illegally operated drones. The Counter-UAS Demonstrator (CUDO) research focuses on the detection and interception of the aggressor within the protected area, transport away from the scene and neutralisation using a counter-UAS – all without endangering bystanders.

As the DLR explains, ground-based solutions often have a short range and long response times, so the aggressor should be removed from the protection zone by a C-UAS. Depending on the mission scenario, this C-UAS may cause the aggressor to crash or capture it with a grappling system, secure it and transport it away.

As part of the project, scaled C-UAS were built as prototypes in order to investigate the necessary boundary conditions. The focus is on intercepting the intruder through airborne contact. The prototypes that have been developed are characterised by their high speed, agility and extraordinary resilience and robustness.

The Drone Defense project researches technologies and their linkage to provide cost-effective protection against illegally operated drones. The focus of this research is a complete system for defending against illegally deployed drones, from the detection of an undesirably operated drone to its safe removal. The core component of this concept is the use of defense drones that have gripping mechanisms. In this way, the illegally operated drone can be safely removed. In this way, countermeasures should also be possible in the vicinity of crowds.

The core components of the system include:

• Interceptor drone and test vehicle
• Detection and Interception
• Fix and remove.

 

 

CEN workshop COURAGEOUS on testing methodology for counter drone systems. The European committee for standardisation, CEN, hosted a workshop aimed at developing a workshop agreement (CWA) for ‘Unmanned aircraft systems – counter UAS – testing methodology”.

CEN brings together national standardisation bodies of 34 European countries.

The CWA will develop a standardized test methodology for detection, tracking and identification of nefarious drones’ utilising countermeasure systems to protect the lower airspace. This standardized test methodology will be based upon a series of standard user-defined scenarios representing a wide set of use cases (e.g. prison & airport security, critical infrastructure protection, border security, drugs & human trafficking, etc). For these scenarios, operational needs & functional performance requirements will be extracted by end-users. Using this information, an integral test methodology will be developed that allows for a fair qualitative and quantitative comparison between different counter-UAS systems.

The final deliverable of this Workshop (CEN/CWA) is expected to be finalized in June 2024.

Potential interested stakeholders to be involved in this CEN/WS are:

Representatives of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA)

Participants in related Research Projects

Representatives of UAS and C-UAS industry

Members of relevant Technical Committees (e.g. CEN/TC 471 ‘UAS’)

The kick-off meeting was held on Friday 4 August 2023.

 

Germany’s DLR aerospace centre launches C-UAS Demonstrator research project, tests neutralisation, The Unmanned Aircraft Department at the DLR Institute of Flight Systems has released details of its research into technologies to ensure protection against illegally operated drones. The Counter-UAS Demonstrator (CUDO) research focuses on the detection and interception of the aggressor within the protected area, transport away from the scene and neutralisation using a counter-UAS – all without endangering bystanders.

As the DLR explains, ground-based solutions often have a short range and long response times, so the aggressor should be removed from the protection zone by a C-UAS. Depending on the mission scenario, this C-UAS may cause the aggressor to crash or capture it with a grappling system, secure it and transport it away.

As part of the project, scaled C-UAS were built as prototypes in order to investigate the necessary boundary conditions. The focus is on intercepting the intruder through airborne contact. The prototypes that have been developed are characterised by their high speed, agility and extraordinary resilience and robustness.

The Drone Defense project researches technologies and their linkage to provide cost-effective protection against illegally operated drones. The focus of this research is a complete system for defending against illegally deployed drones, from the detection of an undesirably operated drone to its safe removal. The core component of this concept is the use of defense drones that have gripping mechanisms. In this way, the illegally operated drone can be safely removed. In this way, countermeasures should also be possible in the vicinity of crowds.

The core components of the system include:

• Interceptor drone and test vehicle
• Detection and Interception
• Fix and remove.

 

On June 5th the US Senate Commerce, Science, Transportation committee considered widening C-UAS mitigation authority. The S. 896: SHIELD U Act, a bill which authorizes and expands counter-drone activities by state, local, and airport law enforcement, and federal agencies and was introduced earlier this year by Senator Mike Lee, Mike [R-UT], has been read twice and referred to the US Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. According to the Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan division of the Library of Congress: “Specifically, the bill authorizes state, local, and airport law enforcement to carry out Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (Counter-UAS) activities on commercial service airport property to detect, identify, and mitigate threats posed by unmanned aircraft (i.e., drones). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is also authorized to carry out these activities.

 

White Papers and Research

 

Counter-drone laser weapons still limited compared to other C-UAS systems. In a new blog post, Skylock’s Chief Technology Officer Ofer Kachan has questioned the feasibility of applying laser weapons to counter-UAS applications.

“While the concept sounds exciting, its technological feasibility remains uncertain at this stage” he says.

According to the post: “Counter-drone laser weapons are advanced defence systems that utilise high-energy laser to neutralise unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones. Using lasers, these systems direct a focused beam of light at the target drone, causing it to malfunction, overheat, or lose control, ultimately rendering it inoperable. To protect sensitive installations and airspace from unauthorised drone activity, governments and defence organisations around the world are increasingly developing laser-based countermeasures as drones become more sophisticated and widely used for civilian and military purposes.”

Skylock‘s CTO, Ofer Kachan, calls counter-drone laser weapons “an exciting buzzword”

Yet he pours some cold water on using these weapons, “The application strategy of counter-drone laser weapons is still limited compared to other C-UAS solutions. While the concept sounds exciting, its technological feasibility remains uncertain at this stage. Large armies might find these laser weapons suitable, but government entities, like those that work with Skylock, will likely continue using existing C-UAS technology. When electronic warfare, jammers, spoofers, and cyber measures fail, counter-drone laser weapons serve as a last ‘hard kill’ line of defence. Although a good last-resort option, many armies still opt for machine gun projectiles or drone-on-drone confrontations as their kinetic solution due to their proven track record. Counter-drone laser weapons are still limited in their capabilities and have yet to establish themselves as a reliable and proven technology”.

 

Counter drone market predicted to rise by USD1.6bn at a CAGR of 25% from 2023-2028. The global counter drone market is predicted to witness a CAGR of 25% during forecast period of 2023-2028, according to a report published by HTF Market Intelligence. The market is segmented by application: Detection (Radar, Sensors, Others); Detection & Disruption; Technology (Laser, Kinetic, Electronics); Verticals (Military & Defense, Homeland Security, Commercial); and by Geography. The Anti-Drone market size is estimated to increase by USD 1.6bn at a CAGR of 25% from 2023 to 2028. The report includes historic market data from 2017 to 2022E. Currently, market value is pegged at USD 2.6bn. According to coverage by Open PR, the study covers new evolving trends, drivers, restraints, opportunities generated by targeting market associated stakeholders. The growth of the Anti-Drone market was mainly driven by the increasing R&D spending across the world, however latest scenario and economic slowdown have changed complete market dynamics.

One-way attack drone market growing at a considerable rate’ – new Vertical Flight Society study. The market for one-way attack drones is growing dramatically, with as many new models of aircraft revealed in the past two years as those unveiled in the previous five decades combined, according to a new study “One-Way Attack Drones: The Loitering Munitions of Past and Present,” from the Vertical Flight Society (VFS). The study, finds that the origins of these weapons are more complex than often understood and that the market for one-way attack (OWA) drones has grown larger than expected.

The study traces the evolution of one-way attack drones from military programs in the early 1970s to the present day. In the 1970s and 1980s, the advent of new fabrication materials and lightweight sensors facilitated the development of low-cost drones to target adversary radar sites. In time, the military applications of OWA drones broadened beyond the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) role. In the early 2000s, the emergence of the Switchblade drone provided the infantry with its own portable loitering munition, while the spread of Iranian drones enabled a host of non-state and, increasingly, state actors to use low-cost drones to conduct long-range precision strikes.

The consequences of this transformation are evident in the host of ongoing military research and acquisition programs worldwide, says the study. The adoption of one-way attack drones in greater numbers and variety has the potential to lead to changes in force structures, training and operations. The dominance of drones, including one-way attack drones, in recent armed conflicts such as in Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh have underscored the vulnerabilities of current air defenses. For crewed rotorcraft, one-way attack drones are seen as offering the possibility of increasing the lethality and survivability of Future Vertical Lift platforms.

The VFS report ‘One-Way Attack Drones: The Loitering Munitions of Past and Present’ can be downloaded by the public for free through the month of May at www.vtol.org/drone-report, after which it will be available for purchase from the VFS Vertical Flight Library at www.vtol.org/library, along with the dataset of aircraft on which the analysis is based.

 

The Blighter Surveillance white paper, Multi-Mode Radar, finds traditional radars are not able to address all the threats facing the unmanned sector. Multi-mode radars, however, offer traditional radar capabilities while at the same time allowing extended capabilities including drone, covert boat and crawler detection. The radar can apply its different modes depending on where it is looking. The white paper examines the different technologies and explains the need for a more diverse surveillance portfolio. Traditional surveillance radars have been defined by their radar architecture and mechanical construction, resulting in application specific radar designs, such as:

Ground Surveillance Radar

Air Traffic Control Radar

Coastal Vessel Tracking System (VTS) Radar

The advancement of radar technology including availability of low-cost electronic scanning antennas, high capability and easily programmable signal processing platforms, and high-quality digital waveform generators, allows modern radars to do so much more than their predecessors.

(Blighter Surveillance white paper is on the BATTLESPACE White Paper web page)

 

US GAO report: directed energy weapon technical maturity levels still lagging. The US Department of Defense (DOD) is currently developing directed energy weapons with the goal of defeating a range of threats, including drones and missiles but its efforts to transition prototypes to acquisition programs face challenges, according to an April report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).

“DOD spends USD1bn annually on developing directed energy—concentrated electromagnetic energy—weapons. For example, DOD has developed high-energy lasers that have successfully shot down drones in demonstrations. However, DOD has had trouble getting these technologies out of the lab and into the field for several reasons—including determining how to use them in missions. The Army developed a detailed transition plan describing schedules and stakeholder roles to support moving these weapons into development. However, the Navy and Air Force haven’t done the same. We recommended they do so.”

The report goes on: The DoD current spends about USD1bn annually on directed energy—concentrated electromagnetic energy—weapons, including high energy lasers and high power microwaves.  GAO is making four recommendations to DOD, including that the Navy and the Air Force develop transition agreements between prototype developers and planned transition partners. DOD concurred with three recommendations and partially concurred with one recommendation. GAO continues to believe that the recommendation should be fully implemented.

 

Lack of drone detection equipment contributes to rise in prison drug deliveries. A single Ontario prison ‘saw nearly 100 drones deliver drugs, weapons, cell phones, and other contraband to inmates in 2022,’ according to a report by Flying Magazine.

The figures were obtained by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation via a pair of access-to-information requests to Correctional Service Canada (CSC). According to the report:

‘Just five years ago, the same facility, Collins Bay Institution in Kingston, recorded just 10 such deliveries. But between 2018 and 2022, there were at least 247 recorded incidents, resulting in several major busts in recent years. According to a CSC summary, there were roughly 600 drug-related and 250 weapons seizures at Collins Bay between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022. The summary said incident reports suggested ‘most contraband introduced into the institution’ was via drone, adding that a single illegal delivery could net CAD100,000 in institutional value when seized.’

But the worsening situation at Collins Bay is illustrative of a larger trend—one that has garnered the attention of Canadian prison authorities and correctional officers’ unions alike. In just the past few months, Canadian law enforcement have suspected or discovered drones delivering contraband to facilities in Drunheller, Warkworth, Mission, Donnacona, and more. And those are just the flights authorities know of, causing experts and correctional officers to question whether CSC’s figures are underreported. According to a CSC chart provided to the UCCO, there were nearly 700 drone-related incidents in Canadian prisons between March 2020 and February 2022—the true number is likely higher,” says Flying Magazine.

In 2019, CSC pledged to spend CAD6m on radar-based drone detection equipment at six facilities. Those installations were scheduled to be complete by March 2022. CSC declined to tell the CBC how many facilities are using the technology. But so far, only one prison—Donnacona Institution in Quebec—has begun testing it, according to UCCO national vice president Frederick Lebeau. Corrections officers at Donnacona claim drones make two to three drops per day there.

One challenge in installing counter-drone measures at prisons is the rapidly advancing pace of drone technology. Per Lebeau, it can take a long time for prisons to procure, install, and test these systems, which gives criminals time to come up with creative work-arounds. Some facilities, meanwhile, simply don’t have the budget or financial support needed to install such systems. A similar problem is arising in the U.S. Since 2022, major drone contraband busts have taken place at prisons in Texas, Ohio, Kansas, South Carolina, California, and elsewhere.

According to 2020 data from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), there were just 57 drone-related incidents reported in 2019, though that represented a 50 percent rise year over year. The Department of Justice, meanwhile, reported 170 such incidents between 2015 and 2019. Those numbers sound manageable—but there are a few caveats. For example, the BOP did not have a formal reporting policy for drone activity until 2018, the year before incident reports spiked. Another issue: Drone detection technology was not widely implemented between 2015 and 2019, tasking visual observers with spotting aircraft that often fly hundreds of feet in the air.

In the US, preventing these deliveries may be tougher than in Canada. Several solutions—from jamming radio frequencies near prisons to counter-drone surveillance such as radar or cameras—have been proposed. But there is patchwork of U.S. laws around surveillance, security, and privacy that inhibits what prisons can legally do to combat them,” says Flying Magazine.

 

July Developments

 

C-sUAS Demo Returns to Yuma Proving Ground. The importance of small unmanned aircraft systems, known as sUAS, in the aviation world is growing with each passing year. The United States military has used unmanned aircraft for decades to perform dangerous reconnaissance and attack missions that save Soldiers’ lives.

As the technology proliferates, however, America’s adversaries could potentially use sUAS to target Soldiers, necessitating robust counter-sUAS, or C-sUAS, defenses for use anywhere American forces may be deployed. The Joint C-sUAS Office, known as the JCO, was established in 2020 to tackle this threat and has hosted industry demonstrations of the latest C-sUAS technology at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground for the past two years. Their most recent event took place across four weeks in May and June.

“It’s groundbreaking stuff,” said Riley Sinek, YPG test officer. “We’re looking into solutions to deter the most scary threats you see on TV. It’s technology that some people can’t even fathom we’re using to defeat these threats.”

“This is similar to the one we did earlier this year, but with longer distances,” added Michael DiGennaro, JCO test lead. “This is focused on defeat of Group 3 sUAS on one-way-attack missions.”

The defeat mechanism differed by vendor, ranging from missiles to high-powered microwaves, and at this event the distances the testers used were significantly greater than in previous demonstrations. During some test rounds, the Group 3 UAS also flew significantly higher and faster than during previous events, making the target sets more challenging to defeat.

“We’re trying to engage these threats earlier and at longer distances so that they don’t have an opportunity to do harm to our forces,” said DiGennaro.

During the scenarios, the aggressor drones approached the defended area at different speeds and altitudes to test the system under evaluation’s ability to defeat the threats. The testers watched for any anomalies and also took note of the individual systems’ ease of use, among other things. The larger distances involved in these test cases required the support of additional YPG personnel to conduct the test safely.

“It’s great to work with so many people across YPG,” said Sinek. “The teamwork is what made this a success. It increases the exposure of what YPG is capable of doing.”

YPG is the most capable of a limited number of test ranges able to accommodate this type of work. The proving ground’s clear, stable air and extremely dry climate along with vast institutional UAS testing knowledge makes it an attractive location to testers, as does the ability to control a large swath of the radio frequency spectrum. YPG has more than 500 permanent radio frequencies, and several thousand temporary ones in a given month.

“This facility is designed to do exactly what we are doing,” said DiGennaro. “The support from the entire test crew and the range infrastructure itself gives us the ability to focus on our test objectives.”

The demonstrations are expected to continue for several more years, with each subsequent test focusing on different types of sUAS threats and C-sUAS systems.

“We continue to engage with industry to find new solutions they are able to demonstrate for us so we can rapidly prototype these solutions and put them in the hands of the Warfighters,” said DiGennaro. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ US Army)

 

Counter drone market report details technology and systems used to detect combat drones. The market report released by StartUs Insights details research results on 274 startups and scaleups developing technologies to detect combat drones. The report, ‘Detect Combat Drone, UCAVs & Loitering Munitions Effectively’ names the top seven technologies to detect combat drones as follows:

1. Acoustic detectors
2. Alert escalation platforms
3. Hybrid detectors
4. Optical sensors
5. Radar
6. Radio frequency analysers
7. Thermal detectors.

An innovation map outlines the top 14 systems to detect combat drones.

According to StartUs insights, this research is data-driven innovation intelligence that improves strategic decision-making by giving you an overview of emerging technologies & startups in the military industry. These insights are derived by working with our Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2 500 000+ startups & scaleups globally. As one of the world’s largest resource for data on emerging companies, the SaaS platform enables you to identify relevant startups, emerging technologies & future industry trends quickly & exhaustively.

“Combat drones are gaining attention as Russia is using them in its invasion of Ukraine, targeting both military forces and civilian infrastructure. Advances in manufacturing, general components miniaturization, as well as control and guidance systems increase their adoption. Unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAVs) and loitering munitions such as suicide drones or kamikaze drones carry out highly cost-effective targeted strikes like the ones we see in the Ukraine war today. This widespread adoption of weaponized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) also powers other military applications with small-payload activities that aid reconnaissance operations. Therefore, it is necessary for militaries to effectively detect combat drones for tackling enemy attacks.

“Though drones already find applications in military and defense operations, emerging technologies are taking their capabilities beyond rescue, surveillance, and monitoring. These advances will increase the use of UCAVs in military warfare globally. Advanced hardware including sensors or cameras as well as newly developed software enables better reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA). This greatly reduces costs and risks associated with traditional military aircraft. Additionally, UAVs are more flexible as they are easily and quickly deployable. They also make saturation attacks significantly more likely, thus posing a threat to even the most sophisticated air defense systems. This is why our research below puts an emphasis on cost-symmetrical detection and mitigation strategies and systems that aid in tackling the increasing number of combat drones and loitering munitions.

“As outlined, UCAVs and loitering munitions are taking on an increasingly important role in defense and military operations. This is why equipment to detect combat drones, UCAVs, and loitering munitions is essential for the upper hand in combat, conflicts, and wars. In the Russia-Ukraine war, for instance, detection equipment also has an important role in identifying simpler unsanctioned and foreign unmanned aerial systems (UAS). This enables emergency teams to increase both civilian and army personnel safety as well as critical infrastructure security. To this effect, we conducted in-depth research into global defense startups, scaleups, and technology companies developing technologies to detect and mitigate combat drones. In this first part, we focus on technology solutions that facilitate the detection, identification, tracing, and localization of UAV, UCAV, and loitering munitions activities,” says StartUs insights.

Top 7 Anti-Drone Technologies to Detect Combat Drones

1. Acoustic Detectors

The sounds generated by rotors and engines in drones allow the use of acoustic solutions to detect, classify, and localize them. These solutions primarily utilize microphones or microphone arrays to detect sounds. They also calculate the direction of the flight using algorithms and multiple signal classification. This acoustic method facilitates the detection of combat drones within the near field, those operating autonomously, and the ones that do not emit RF radiations. Further, innovations like tetrahedron acoustic arrays provide more accurate detection, recognition, and mapping of their direction of arrival.

Advanced Protection (AP) Systems enable Directional Drone Detection

Polish startup AP Systems designs and builds a comprehensive system for the detection, tracking, and neutralization of small aerial vehicles. The startup’s modular and fully configurable radar sensor augments drone detection capabilities using acoustic sensors. These acoustic sensors provide direction-finding capabilities through AP Systems’ digital beamforming technology, enabling robust operation in urban environments.

Prime offers Omnidirectional Acoustic Detection

Spanish startup Prime provides custom technical solutions for defense and protection applications in the military sector. The startup’s omnidirectional acoustic sensor, DroneShield, provides full-range drone detection with a 180-degree coverage of surrounding acoustic activities. The omnidirectional microphone is small in size and features multiple color options for inconspicuous installation. Prime’s drone detection system also features noise filters that distinguish and eliminate common environmental noises. This improves the accuracy of drone detection in any weather condition.

2. Alert Escalation Platforms

All drone detection methods utilize sensor data to detect and identify malicious flying objects like combat drones and loitering munitions. The detection system generates a large amount of data that requires massive processing to provide cognizable information on the presence of drones or other rogue flying objects. Innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) and other data processing techniques thus aid the development of command and control software that handles drone data. Such solutions automate data collection and processing to quickly and accurately identify unsanctioned flights. AI-based systems also escalate no false alerts to the command chain.

Black Sage advances Automated Drone Detection

US-based startup Black Sage offers an autonomous and interoperable hardware and software platform for counter-UAS (CUAS) applications. The startup’s counter-UAS command and control software, DefenceOS, automates rogue drone recognition and effector deployment to counter them. Its automated features avoid the need for operator intervention in UAS threat detection. Additionally, the startup’s modular CUAS hardware platform, Sawtooth, features multiple detectors and effector systems customizable to meet mission requirements.

URSA makes a Drone Data Management Platform

US-based startup URSA develops an all-in-one platform for UAS and CUAS ecosystem data handling and processing. The platform analyzes UAS data to identify and prioritize anomalous drone behavior. URSA’s vendor-agnostic analytics uses big data and AI techniques to rapidly access and understand drone data on the platform. The startup’s modular platform evolves and grows with the environment it operates in, providing continuous actionable risk management.

3. Hybrid Detectors

Using a single method of detection causes blind spots and makes the successful detection of UAVs difficult. Innovations like sensor fusion and joint control systems enable hybrid detection systems with greater accuracy and installation flexibility. They combine radio, electro-optical, and camera sensors with a control platform. The control platform coordinates the data collected by individual sensors and augments each sensor’s ability. This way, RF scanners gather information like drone type and control commands as well as location information when combined with acoustic or optical/thermal sensors. This improves the triangulation of loitering munitions and other malicious flights.

Vizgard delivers Sensor Fusion-driven UAV Detection

UK-based startup Vizgard provides a sensor fusion platform for enhancing camera-based systems. The startup’s platform-agnostic software, FortifAI, combines AI, sensor fusion, and a camera platform to increase time-critical system autonomy. Its sensor fusion system reduces operator burden and increases the probability of detecting potential threats like kamikaze drones or other enemy UCAVs. The platform also filters false positives from primary sensors, such as radar or RF detectors, and validates each detection alert through visual analysis.

FIONSYSTEMS provides an Integrated Anti-Drone System

South Korean startup Fionsystems develops integrated anti-drone systems, drone ground control software, and AI-based image processing solutions. The startup’s anti-drone system, Clipeus, uses 3D radar, optical cameras, and integrated operation control software. It maps drone activities utilizing radar data to identify target drones and tracks them through real-time image processing. The platform also triggers counter-effectors upon identifying drone threats.

4. Optical Sensors

Advances in optical camera technology allow military tech startups to detect, identify, and analyze drones using camera visuals. These solutions detect objects based on their appearance and motion features across consecutive frames. The visuals of drones and their payloads provide useful forensic evidence that provides insights for faster combat drone and loitering munition identification. But the low spatial resolution and image contrast results in high false-alarm rates making optical solutions unreliable on their own. Therefore, startups leverage vision systems along with other detection techniques.

Bluvec enables 360-Degree Optical Drone Detection

Canadian startup Bluvec offers an optical drone detection system that provides effective security against combat and kamikaze drone threats. The startup integrates its visual sensor into a servo pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) setup, Blucam A100, and an intelligent AI vision platform. This enables 360-degree detection, intelligent identification, target positioning, and forensic tracking functions.

Walaris develops an Electro-Optical-based Detection System

Walaris is a US-based startup that develops an end-to-end optical system, utilizing optical-based detection, acquisition, classification, and tracking solutions. The startup’s electro-optical-based detection system, AirScout Sentry, uses AI-driven software that continuously scans the airspace to monitor drone activities. Upon detecting UAS threats, the software triggers real-time alerts to operators. Further, the solution’s open architecture software and flexible application programming interface (API) enable seamless integration with other sensors and systems.

5. Radar

Radar technology enables active drone detection by sending radio-wave signals and analyzing return signals for measuring the direction and distance of flying objects. Although radar solutions are highly dependent on the size of the drone, they support long-range, continuous tracking, and highly accurate localization. Radar-powered detection systems also handle hundreds of targets simultaneously and regardless of autonomous flight and visual conditions like brightness or fog. This data allows mission control and military units to create a map of all flying objects within their range and track anomalous activities.

Edgeforce offers End-to-End Drone Defense

Indian startup Edgeforce creates end-to-end solutions to tackle UCAVs and malicious drones. The startup’s radar system leverages active transmitters and receivers to identify and track autonomous UAVs. It automatically detects and tracks multiple drones simultaneously. The system also utilizes machine learning to recognize complex patterns in the data captured by drone sensors. This allows the drone detection system to spot regular flight activities from abnormal ones.

Noology develops 3D Radar Technology

US-based startup Noology makes a radar-based drone detection system to secure critical sites and infrastructure. The startup’s spherical view radar (SVR) offers real-time spherical coverage of the airspace with the provision to cover a wide area through networking. This eliminates blind spots and increases the efficiency of UAS detection and tracking. The solution also offers a graphical user interface that pinpoints drone locations on 2D and 3D displays.

6. Radio Frequency Analyzers

Radiowaves are critical for unmanned flights to communicate between the drone and the controller. Every UAV model uses a unique radio frequency (RF) band for the transmission and reception of control commands. These communications contain information pertaining to the hardware addresses of drones and controllers that aid in identifying their make and model. Innovative RF analyzers are capable of triangulating drones and their controllers. This enables the detection and identification of unfriendly drones and loitering munitions in restricted airspaces. Radio-based solutions also provide a long-range and low-cost drone detection means to passively detect and identify multiple drone systems.

Dabin Systems makes an RF-based Counter-Drone System

South Korean startup Dabin Systems provides Ostrich, a counter-drone system that determines the presence of rogue flying objects like suicide drones. It detects RF signals transmitted and received between the drones and controllers. For this, the system uses an active antenna unit (AAU)-based antenna and a control computer that is easy to install and transport. The AAU is water and dustproof and features self-heat dissipation capabilities for seamless operations in extreme environments.

Skycope Technologies provides RF Spectrum Drone Sensing

Canadian startup Skyscope Technologies develops hardware and software solutions that utilize RF spectrum sensing to search for drones and their remote controllers. The startup’s sensor system, SkyEye, uses passive detection of RF signals to locate drones in its sphere of influence. Its software platform also compares these RF signals with a drone library to confirm the detection. Additionally, the platform’s AI ensures drone detection even in cases of new and unknown drones not included in the library.

7. Thermal Detectors

The motors, batteries, and other onboard equipment of drones radiate a significant amount of heat that imparts thermal signatures. These signatures are recognizable by thermal sensors. Thermal detection has higher resilience to adverse weather conditions, thereby enabling UAS detection in foggy or overcast conditions. However, they have a lower range compared to other detection methods and find use alongside radio or optical systems. This improves the identification ability of the drone detection equipment without adding expensive radio wave detectors and analyzers.

Optimized Electrotech offers Infrared (IR)-based Drone Detection

Indian startup Optimized Electrotech develops imaging surveillance technology utilizing electro-optics. The startup’s long-range surveillance system, Noct Vision, detects combat drone threats in visible light and night conditions as well as enables zero-light imaging. It applies long-wave IR manipulation and high-sensitivity thermal detectors that spot even the slighted faults along the perimeter. This allows authorities to take preventive action and mitigate drone attacks.

Blighter Surveillance Systems creates an Anti-UAV Defense System (AUDS)

UK-based startup Blighter Surveillance Systems makes an AUDS that disrupts and neutralizes UAVs engaged in hostile airborne surveillance and potentially malicious activities. It is a smart-sensor and effector package that remotely detects small UAVs. The startup’s AUDS then tracks and classifies them before providing the option to disrupt their activity. Moreover, the high-sensitivity thermal imager in the startup’s detection system enables the detection of small UAVs in all weather conditions. For more information visit: www.startus-insights.com

 

CEN workshop to develop standardised test methodology for drone counter measure systems. European standardisation association CEN is hosting a workshop focused on unmanned aircraft systems, counter UAS, testing methodology starting with a kick-off meeting on Friday 4 August 2023. The final deliverable of this Workshop (CEN/CWA) is expected to be finalized in June 2024.

The CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) aims to develop a standardized test methodology for detection, tracking and identification of nefarious drones’ utilising countermeasure systems to protect the lower airspace. This standardized test methodology will be based upon a series of standard user-defined scenarios representing a wide set of use cases (e.g. prison & airport security, critical infrastructure protection, border security, drugs & human trafficking, etc). For these scenarios, operational needs & functional performance requirements will be extracted by end-users. Using this information, an integral test methodology will be developed that allows for a fair qualitative and quantitative comparison between different counter-UAS systems. Potential interested stakeholders to be involved in this CEN/WS are:

Representatives of Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA)

Participants in related Research Projects

Representatives of UAS and C-UAS industry

Members of relevant Technical Committees (e.g. CEN/TC 471 ‘UAS’)

Representatives of DG SAFE, DG HOME.

The kick-off meeting will be held on Friday 4 August 2023. The kick-off meeting will be in CCMC but hybrid. Online access will be provided in the invitation.

All interested parties are invited to submit their registration form and the comments on the draft project plan to the workshop secretary, Cristina Popa,  by 31 July 2023.

Draft project plan here: https://www.cencenelec.eu/media/CEN-CENELEC/News/Workshops/2023/2023-06-20%20-%20Courageous/draftprojectplan.pdf

Comments and registration forms here: https://www.cencenelec.eu/media/CEN-CENELEC/News/Workshops/2023/2023-06-20%20-%20Courageous/draftprojectplan.pdf

For more information visit: www.cencenelec.eu

 

Colombian Defence Ministry seeks C-UAS systems for counter guerilla/air defence. UAS Vision reports that the Colombian Ministry of Defense has considered allocating USD 2 m for procurements of Counter-Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-sUAS) that have time and location detection, track the journey, block video recording and, restrict entrance to denied areas.

According to text of a request for information published by the US International Trade Administration:

“Guerrilla groups and other nefarious actors are reported to be making drones to support their operations. The Colombian Ministry of Defense has denounced the use of drones by these organizations that violate Colombia´s national sovereignty. They have also prioritized countering the threat of UAVs flying over government institutions such as the headquarters of the Colombian Armed Forces.

“The Ministry has announced the following requirements for its procurement of C-sUAS: non-interference systems with the capability to detect nearby drones including homemade drones. The system should also be passive and not kinetic in its attack, water resistant, interoperable with local laptops and tablets, and encrypted.

“Another opportunity for C-sUAS can be found in protecting Colombia’s airspace. The Civil Aviation Authority of Colombia is currently evaluating the purchase of USD 1 to 2 m in C-sUAS to secure Colombia’s public and private airspace. Their objective is to maintain order and control of Colombia’s airspace and prevent intrusions from unauthorized drones.

For more information: https://www.uasvision.com/2023/07/04/colombia-seeks-c-uas-to-counter-illicit-drone-activities/; https://www.trade.gov/market-intelligence/colombia-counter-small-unmanned-aerial-systems-uas-opportunities

(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

EASA adopts M2 Means of Compliance for mitigation means, for example parachute recovery systems.

The European Aviation Safety Agency has adopted and published the means of compliance for mitigation means M2 Ref. AMC to article 11 of Regulation 2019/947, following the extended period of consultation which ended in March 2023.

The publication opens the door to operations in populated areas under SORA and allows parachute and drone manufacturers to make their product compliant for operations in urban environment.

The document is addressed to UAS operators, UAS manufacturers, mitigation means manufacturers (typically but not only: parachute recovery systems) and is made of:

• Chapter 1: conceptual clarification of the nominal integrity target associated with medium robustness M2;
• Chapter 2: General Means of Compliance for M2 medium robustness mitigation means. An applicant may use this chapter to define the technical approach for its project by proposing to the competent authority a specific MoC for M2 medium integrity;
• Chapter 3: An initial set of example ways to apply the general MoC.

Chapter 2 is particularly addressed to organizations designing the UAS and/or the mitigation means, chapter 3 is focused on operators.

The document is available here

For more information visit: www.easa.europa.eu

(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

UK CAA invites feedback on proposal for remote pilot competency in the Specific Category. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has opened a consultation on its proposals for the future of remote pilot competency in the Specific Category and to provide an update on the progress of supporting policy workstreams.

The proposal covers a wide range of RPAS policy work including:

• Rulemaking to establish RAEs under an improved legal basis such as the UK Regulation (EU) 2018/1139, the Basic Regulation
• Establishing medical standards for RPs in the specific category
• Developing a framework for the future of RP competency
• Developing the supporting RP competency policy, AMC, and GM

The purpose of the consultation is to gather views from key stakeholder groups including RAEs, Remote Pilots, and Operators early in the policy development process.

Download the consultation document here

Deadline: 23 August 2023

For more information visit: www.caa.co.uk

(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

DGCA India and EASA to cooperate on AAM, UAM and UAV certification and standards. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for cooperation in Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Innovative Air Mobility. The DGCA says this MoU will focus on collaboration on unmanned aircraft and innovative air mobility between the two civil aviation authorities.

According to the press release “This collaboration would include cooperation between DGCA and EASA in the areas of development of certification standards and environmental standards and related requirements for the certification and use of unmanned aircraft systems and innovative air mobility operations which includes licensing of personnel, training, air traffic management and infrastructure, including Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) standards and services.

“The MoU will also ensure regular information sharing between the two authorities on the technological developments and research in this area and also their respective strategies for outreach to relevant stakeholders. Further, the MoU will result in collaboration in conducting conferences, workshops, training programmers by DGCA and EASA in this area.

“The signing of this MoU is expected to result in harmonised standards and accelerated growth of Indian unmanned aviation sector.

“During EU-India Aviation Summit held in New Delhi on 20th April 2023, DGCA had signed a letter of intent (LoI) on Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Innovative Air Mobility with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).” For more information: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1937494

(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

European ECHO project delivers ConOps for higher airspace ready for validation. The ECHO Concept of Operations (CONOPS) are now available on the ECHO website.

ECHO is a two-year project led by EUROCONTROL to deliver a comprehensive demand analysis and the concept of operations (ConOps) for higher airspace to allow safe, efficient and scalable operations.

The ConOps provides the basis to identify future infrastructure needs that would be required to support Higher Airspace Operations (HAO) and it will be developed for short, medium and long-term time frames. A key objective is that the ConOps should address operations of today’s existing vehicles as well as of vehicles and activities still to be developed.

A follow-on project, ECHO 2, is already under way as part of the Digital European Sky programme, and will build on the firm foundation laid by ECHO. “The principle of building traffic management according to demand is a key element that will need to be tested,” notes Hof. “We envisage limited services and infrastructure in areas of low demand, whereas in regions of medium- to high-density operations, users may require new traffic management services.” Regulatory coordination at the international level will also be needed for certain types of operations. Industrial associations are expected to play a key role in these discussions. “This project has helped Europe to develop a clear position on this issue,” remarks Hof. With the release of the final Conops, Europe now has a clear and robust concept that it can use both to promote European developments and to support global evolution through ICAO. For more information visit: https://higherairspace.eu/

 

RoK to Introduce Anti-Drone Defense System at Key Military, Gov’t Facilities. South Korea plans to introduce an integrated defense system to counter hostile unmanned aircraft at key military and government facilities for the first time, officials said Thursday.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) recently put up a notice for the 48.5bn-won (US$37.2m) project on its procurement website as Seoul has sought to bolster anti-drone capabilities after North Korea’s drone incursions late last year.

Under the project, DAPA seeks to purchase the counter-drone system to be operated by the Army, the Navy and the Air Force from local companies. It will accept bids through Aug. 8.

The system is expected to be able to detect small-sized drones and neutralize them by jamming their signals.

“In order to prepare against various North Korean unmanned assets and drones, DAPA is enhancing substantive response capabilities,” DAPA spokesperson Col. Choi Kyung-ho told a regular press briefing. “We will make efforts so that the project for the integrated anti-drone system for key areas can be carried out in a timely way.”

Last December, five North Korean drones intruded across the inter-Korean border, with one of them having penetrated a no-fly zone close to Seoul’s presidential office.

South Korea has since made efforts to beef up anti-drone measures, with the military planning to launch a drone operations command tasked with various missions utilizing the unmanned assets, including surveillance, reconnaissance and strike operations, later this year.

The military is currently considering various locations for the envisioned unit, although it is pushing for its establishment in the northern city of Pocheon, Col. Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in the briefing. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Yonhap News Agency)

 

Germany’s bi-annual market study identifies growth in drone detection and commercial drone usage. Germany’s Association of Unmanned Aviation (VUL) has released the results of its bi-annual market study into current trends and developments in the drone, air taxi and drone detection and defense markets. The study is based on real market data.

Key drone detection and defence findings:

The growth of the drone detection and countermeasures market is correlated with the proliferation of drones in personal and commercial use, fueling the demand for protection against potentially dangerous aircraft. In 2022, 13% of the 215m euros invested worldwide flowed into German companies.

Key commercial drone market findings:

There are well over 400,000 drones in circulation in Germany. Most of it, 359,000 drones, is used privately. However, this proportion has been declining for several years. However, the market for private drones seems to be saturated, while the commercial use of drones is becoming increasingly popular: the proportion of commercially used drones has increased by 197 percent since 2019 to 56,400 drones now.

The growth in the area of ​​commercial use is also due to the high investments in drone companies: In the past ten years, around 124m euros have been invested in these companies, 93 percent of this sum the drone companies received in the past two years alone. On average, these companies in Germany are eight years old and employ around 20 people.

The German drone market is currently 955m euros. The commercial drone market accounts for 893m euros and the private drone market for 62m euros. In the ranking of the largest commercial drone markets, Germany continues to rank fourth after China, the USA and Japan. However, this is put into perspective if one does not take the absolute size of the market as a basis, but the size of the market per employee: Norway and Switzerland are then at the top in a global comparison – Germany comes in 18th place.

The number of drones in Germany will be around the same level in 2030 at around 412,000. While growth in personal use will continue to level off, the number of commercially used drones will increase to 80,000. Only one in seven drones is currently operated commercially in Germany; by 2030 it will be one in five drones. The German drone market will almost double by 2030 from EUR 955m to over EUR 1.7bn, which corresponds to an average annual growth rate of 7.5 percent. The growth is mainly driven by the commercial market.

Around 3,100 people in Germany work primarily with air taxis. The companies are six years old on average and employ around 160 people. The German air taxi market is currently 16.6m euros and will grow to 167m euros in 2030. This corresponds to an annual growth rate of over 30 percent. At the moment there are no air taxis flying, as all devices are in the design, prototype or certification phase. However, that could change as early as next year: the first commercial flights are expected to start in 2024, and around 300 air taxis are expected to be in operation in German airspace by 2030. 262 air taxis will be used for passenger transport and 67 for freight transport.

The Association of Unmanned Aviation (VUL) is a joint initiative of the Federal Association of the German Aviation Industry (BDL) and the Federal Association of the German Aerospace Industry (BDLI).

View the study here: https://verband-unbemannte-luftfahrt.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/VUL-Markststudie_2023_DE_f_-1.pdf

 

USAF hosts multi-national C-UAS exercise in Qatar. U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT) reports it “has successfully concluded a comprehensive Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems exercise on July 20, which aimed at enhancing integration, interoperability, and lethality among participating nations. The exercise brought together air forces from the United States, United Kingdom, France, and three other regional air forces, fostering collaboration and strengthening institutional capacity in countering the evolving UAS threat.”

The exercise was hosted at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

“The recently concluded exercise served as a crucial platform for AFCENT and its partners to improve their ability to effectively neutralize UAS threats, ensuring the safety and security of their respective airspace, said an organisation press release. “A total of 17 aircraft, including U.S. F-16s, a KC-10, and MQ-9s, participated in the exercise. This diverse fleet represented the cutting-edge capabilities of the participating nations, showcasing their commitment to countering UAS threats through advanced technology and operational expertise.”

“The exercise focused on various aspects of countering Unmanned Aircraft Systems threats, including detection, tracking, and engagement techniques. Through realistic scenarios and simulated UAS threats, participating forces enhanced their situational awareness, refined their tactics, and developed effective countermeasures.

“The event provided an opportunity for U.S. Air Forces Central and its partners to share best practices, lessons learned, and operational experiences in countering UAS threats. This exchange of knowledge and expertise will contribute to the continuous improvement of C-UAS capabilities across the coalition, fostering a stronger and more coordinated response to this evolving threat.

For more information: https://www.afcent.af.mil/News/Article/3466732/air-forces-central-conducts-c-uas-exercise-with-uk-france-and-regional-partners/(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

India’s border with Pakistan sees over 50 drone incursions in first six months. Counter-UAS systems and policies.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, security agencies in Punjab are battling drug and weapon smuggling activities, many involving drones. The report says:

“In the past year, 51 drones have been shot down in Punjab along the border with Pakistan, as security agencies combat drug and weapon smuggling. Punjab Police have also arrested 143 terrorists and radicals, seizing firearms, explosives, and drugs. Additionally, 16,360 drug smugglers have been arrested, and properties worth ?26.72 crore have been forfeited. The anti-gangster task force has busted 208 criminal modules and arrested 688 gangsters.

“With the increasing smuggling of drugs and weapons using drones from the across the border becoming major challenges for security agencies, 51 drones have been shot down in Punjab along the international border with Pakistan in the past one year.

“Disclosing this during a press conference over drug recoveries by the state government, IG headquarters Sukhchain Singh Gill said the official data from July 5, 2022, to July 16, 2023, reveals that Punjab Police have busted 18 terror modules with the arrest of 143 terrorist/radicals after recovering 31 rifles, 209 revolvers/pistols, five tiffin improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 6.78-kg RDX and other explosives, 10 hand grenades, one sleeve of disposed rocket launcher, 51 drones, and one loaded rocket propelled grenade. “At least 244 drones have been spotted in Punjab this year so far. This year’s data on spotting of drones is not ready yet but concerted efforts between Punjab Police, BSF and other agencies have resulted in combating the threat from drones successfully,” said Gill. For more information visit: www.hindustantimes.com

 

 

19 Jul 23. Robin Radar collaborates with Marduk Technologies to combine C-UAS detection solutions. During a successful joint performance demonstration event to in Vredepeel, Netherlands, Robin Radar Systems and Marduk Technologies collaborated to finalise the integration of their drone detection radar and electro-optical sensors, IRIS and Marduk Shark, says the press release.

Marduk Shark and IRIS are deployed in modular, multi-sensor integrated CUAS solutions across the globe. IRIS provides long-range radar detection and classification in 3D using advanced micro-doppler technology enhanced with deep learning. Marduk Shark is an electro-optical C-UAS precision targeting platform with a gimbal speed of up to 270 degrees per second. The system is designed to detect, recognize and target a variety of fast-moving small and medium-sized unmanned air systems.

This integration of two compatible sensors demonstrates the advantage of multi-layered protection when the synergy between sensors compliments each other, resulting in a low false-alarm rate for end-users. The collaboration is designed to increase the range of optical detection and tracking and advanced precision in holding the track on a moving drone, as well as visual verification of the drone payload.

 

USAF C-UAS branch seeks industry information on small UAS common operating picture. The United States Air Force (USAF) Counter small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) branch is requesting information regarding systems to provide a Common Operating Picture (COP) to track small-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (s-UAS). The system must integrate disparate sensors and command and control (C2) feeds in an urban geographic region to detect and track s-UAS to provide the COP. COP will be web based and need to be accessible simultaneously from multiple geographically separated locations via a Government URL, (e.g., central node). All software must be Government owned or Government Purpose rights.

According to the US government’s www.sam.gov website: “The COP should consist of the following main functions a User Interface (UI), Algorithm, and centralized data node. The UI will need to display track and detection data on a map while the algorithm is needed to correlate or fuse, and deconflict tracks/detections to declutter the UI. A centralized data node is needed to allow for the COP to be accessed by multiple users at separate locations (e.g., Cloud Server).

“The Government plans to field an initial capability  with the scalability to meet future integration of additional sensor/C2 nodes. Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) is required for all system components (definition here) that allow for rapid integration of third-party sensors and software.”Deadline for responses is August 16, 2023. For more information: https://sam.gov/opp/cecb6073de004f8f9600294a15088c88/view (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

European Parliament wants more regulation of emerging drone sector. A July 19 European Parliamentary debate on the report Unmanned Aircraft Systems integration into European airspace and operation over populated areas, which had been presented to the Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) earlier in the month by Clémence Routaboul Steer in response to the European Commission’s Drone 2.0 strategy, has given almost all sides of the European Union political spectrum a chance to air their views on the emerging drone sector.

The centre-right EPP Group was represented by Marian-Jean Marinescu, who said European Parliament representatives needed to become more involved in rule-making in this sector, which required more sector specific regulations. He proposed making a formal request to the European Commission along these lines. Delegated and implementing acts lacked sufficient parliamentary engagement, he argued.

The Left bloc, which “stands up for workers, environment, feminism, peace & human rights”, was represented by Elena Kountoura, who said drones are primarily used by private individuals for recreational purposes and by armed forces and security agencies. She was concerned about the potential dangers of deploying drones in populated regions, with the potential for loss of life and property damage as well as the protection of citizens’ privacy. National and local authorities should carefully consider the security aspects of drone usage before allowing extensive commercial applications, she said, and argued that the first widespread application of drone services should be dedicated to medical services and improving connectivity to remote areas.

The S&D (the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats) ’s Isabel García Muñoz highlighted the lack of harmonisation between Member States in the emerging drone sector and urged the European Commission’s DG MOVE to develop a roadmap for drone developments which would be a vital incentive for their deployment.

Finally, Karima Delli from the Greens political bloc was worried about emerging drone capabilities in data collection, cybersecurity and surveillance, especially in operations near borders; with technology starting to move faster than legislation. There was a need to strengthen regulations on pilot obligations and increased penalties for misuse. She was also concerned about the process for authorising requests to fly in urban areas.

In presenting the report, the author Clémence Routaboul Steer concluded the Drone Strategy 2.0 was welcomed by stakeholders and recommended 19 flagship actions. But the difficulty of some measures may be underplayed and social acceptance and ground risk assessments may require more attention. The report said the Drone 2.0 strategy lacked an industrialisation roadmap; nor did it include the prioritisation of the 19 flagship actions. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

ICAO invites states to link enacted UAS regulations to ICAO UAS Toolkit repository. ICAO is inviting States which have enacted UAS regulations to share them by providing a link or PDF file to . These regulations may thus be added to the repository of “Current State Regulations” in the UAS Toolkit on ICAO’s public website at https://lnkd.in/eXGYVcK9 .

States, UAS operators and remote pilots can all benefit from the wide variety of information contained in the ICAO UAS Toolkit, particularly as UAS operations increase in airspace traditionally occupied by conventional aircraft. Included in the UAS Toolkit is a handy reference to the current UAS regulations of over 55 States.

Additionally, States are kindly requested to notify the Organization of any enhancements or expansions made to their UAS regulations.

Access the ICAO UAS Toolkit here:  https://www.icao.int/safety/UA/UASToolkit/Pages/default.aspx

 

Kinetic and Laser C-UAS Defeat Solutions

 

January Developments

 

Epirus wins $66m Army contract for drone-frying Leonidas microwave kit. Epirus, a U.S. company specializing in directed energy and its defense applications, secured a $66m prototyping contract with the U.S. Army, as the service attempts to counter a proliferating number of overhead threats. Under the deal handled by the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, or RCCTO, Epirus will this year furnish several prototypes of its counter-drone and counter-electronics high-power microwave kit, known as Leonidas. The latest version of Leonidas, according to the company, was introduced in April.

The RCCTO serves as a bridge between the science-and-technology community and the Army’s program executive offices, shepherding promising tech out of the lab and into soldiers’ hands. With the Leonidas equipment, the California-based company is focusing on the service’s indirect fire protection capability investment, meant to tackle rockets, artillery, mortars, missiles and, more broadly, unmanned aerial threats. High-power microwave systems use bursts of energy to disrupt or destroy distant electronics.

Military adoption and deployment of drones has mushroomed in recent years, with Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine again pushing their use into the popular spotlight.

Footage captured by drones can inform military planning and strikes; they can also be outfitted with explosives and other ordnance to wreak havoc from afar. A military base in Syria used by U.S. and local forces was attacked with three drones earlier this month. Two were shot down, according to U.S. Central Command. Epirus in October announced it and General Dynamics Land Systems successfully mounted a Leonidas array onto a Stryker combat vehicle and then ran it through testing, at which it fried both individual drones and collective swarms. The so-called Stryker Leonidas, developed in less than one year, was on display that same month at the annual Association of the U.S. Army convention. (Source: Defense News)

In April the US Air Force Research Laboratory demonstrates anti-drone swarm C-UAS technology. The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) conducted a demonstration of its high-power microwave counter drone weapon, the Tactical High-power Operational Responder, or THOR, as it engaged a swarm of multiple targets at the Chestnut Test Site, Kirtland Air Force Base, according to an AFRL press release.

 

March Developments

 

Airobotics completes acquisition of Iron-Drone and launches new counter drone system. Autonomous drone manufacturer Airobotics (a subsidiary of Ondas Holdings) reports completion of the acquisition of Iron-Drone, a company specializing in the development of autonomous counter-drone systems. Together with Airobotics’ Optimus System drone, the companies will offer a government-grade drone solution for security and critical infrastructure protection and monitoring. This transaction targets growth in rapidly expanding public safety, homeland security, and defense markets. The combined technologies will provide customers in smart city, defense, and industrial markets with an integrated security platform capable of intercepting hostile drones in various areas such as airports, populated areas, critical infrastructure, according to the press release. For more information visit: www.airoboticsdrones.com

 

Kawasaki Heavy Industries unveils high-energy laser C-UAS. Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) displayed a prototype of a high-energy laser system it has developed to counter hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the DSEI Japan 2023 show being held in Chiba from 15 to 17 March. Speaking to Janes at the show, company officials said that KHI has delivered one prototype of this laser energy-based counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) to the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) in February.

“The prototype delivered to the MoD has a 100 kW laser power,” the officials added.

The prototype displayed by KHI at the DSEI Japan 2023 show has a 2 kW laser power. The officials said that the laser in this prototype can eliminate UAV targets up to a range of 100m.

The C-UAS system also includes a laser rangefinder and an infrared (IR) thermal imaging camera that can track UAVs up to a range of 300 m, the officials added.

The prototype delivered to the MoD has longer ranges than the one displayed at the show, the officials said. (Source: Janes)

 

April Developments

 

 “Russian airships could play an important counter-UAS role in future conflicts.”

According to an article in Russia’s Business Gazette, in an interview with airship expert Sergey Bendin, Russian airships could play an important counter-UAS  role in future conflicts.

Bendin, who is acting head of the Moscow branch of the aeronautics commission of the Russian Geographical Society and heads the Aerosmen airship design bureau, said:

“At the last MAKS air show, I distributed a magazine from the military-industrial complex, in which I defended the position that it was necessary to create “Airshipstroy 2.0”. It would be great to spur the solution of defense tasks, these are not only airships, but also balloons…

“After all, the purpose of the airship is not only to carry cargo. But even, for example, it is possible to bring tanks to the battlefield, quickly unloading them, without reaching the front line, without entering the area under fire. The speed in a straight line is 200 kilometers per hour. Well, and most importantly, the airship can hang in the air, without landing for months, say, in an unmanned version. There are quite enough resources on board, it can provide relay communications. As you know, communication is a big problem, and often it is not always possible to establish it properly. So, having an airship high in the sky works as a great relay solution. It hangs, say, 20-30 kilometers from the front line and provides local mobile communications, distributes the Internet, and, of course, electronic warfare systems. They can carry these devices, repeaters, signal suppressors, keeping them in a given direction. For example, a large-capacity unmanned airship, hovering for a week, will provide our guys with quite serious protection against drones.”

In the interview Bendin also says it is unlikely that a decision to go-ahead with an airship counter-drone/communications hub/tank transport project will take some time, so it is unlikely that Russian airships will take to the skies in Ukraine.

“It is clear that the fighters need to go to the front right now, but this does not happen so that everything appears at once. I will answer this way: the current special military operation is not the last military conflict in which we are participating. And next time we will need these developments.”

Bendin argues that a slow flying, large aircraft like an airship may not automatically be an easy target for air defences.

“Unlike an aircraft, which is completely made of metal, so it is quite easy to catch it with radars, there is a radio transparency factor here. Recently, a situation arose when a spy balloon from China flew into the United States, it was detected visually, and not by radar. The radar did not see him! When they began to solve this topic in the political plane, a big scandal broke out. Something like that is flying, but no one knows. And after all, they couldn’t even shoot down right away, because it flies high, it’s difficult to neutralize, it is almost invisible. With the airship, the situation is exactly the same. If there are not 100 containers on board the airship, as on a steamer, then it flies unnoticed. From his side, it is safe enough to carry out surveillance.” For more information: https://www.business-gazeta.ru/amp/590407

 

Finnish study simulates use of drone swarms as effective counter measure against hostile swarms. The results of a counter drone study conducted by Finland’s Ministry of Defence has been published. The research project called: CounterSwarm – Turning Collective Intelligence against Hostile Drone Swarms, funded by Scientific Advisory Board for Defence, tested (via simulations) the hypothesis that the best way to defend efficiently and affordably against an attacking drone swarm is to play “tit for tat” and use another drone swarm (i.e., counter-swarm). The end goal of the project was to identify methods for adapting the collective intelligence paradigm to swarm tactics, and to develop conceptual, analytical, and numerical tools to evaluate performance in defence applications.

Among high-level, general results, the study shows “that autonomous robotic swarms can be seen as a potential game changer in how modern warfare is conducted. For example, the boundaries between different military branches may become blurry if all types of robotic swarms can be used in all branches. Robotic swarms can be used on land, at sea and in the air, and swarming can also be applied in cyberspace. A war between drone swarms is technically possible in the near future (circa 5–10 years), but poor weather and environmental conditions may compromise their effective use.”

Authors of the study include Fabrice Saffre, Hannu Karvonen, Jari Laarni, Toni Lastusilta, Antti Väätänen from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. For more information visit: www.defmin.fi

 

May Developments

 

Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has launched its Australian made counter-drone capability, named the “Slinger”, at its manufacturing facility in Canberra. Assistant Minister for Defence, the Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP, who officially launched the innovative local technology, said that he continued to be impressed by the world-leading capability of Australia’s defence industry. Executive Vice President of EOS Defence Systems, Mr Matt Jones, said EOS was excited to launch the Slinger in response to growing international demand for advanced counter-drone technologies. The Slinger incorporates a radar, a 30mm cannon with specifically designed ammunition, and EOS’ proprietary stabilisation and pointing technology for counter-drone operations. It can track and discriminately engage moving drones at a range of more than 800 metres, with unique ammunition making it suitable for use in built-up environments. The Slinger has been designed and developed in Australia specifically for export markets, with a focus on addressing contemporary and emerging threats based on lessons learned in recent conflicts, such as Ukraine.

 

April Developments

 

RI&S’ HELWS taps NASAMS air defence system to destroy drones. The live-fire exercise demonstrated that HELWS can be paired with the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) has conducted a capability demonstration of its High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) at White Sands, in the US. The live-fire exercise demonstrated that HELWS can be paired with the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) to destroy a swarm of drone targets.

The laser weapon system obtained cues from the NASAMS Fire Distribution Centre, and then leveraged an array of sensors to track, identify, and engage drones at tactically relevant distances. The HELWS destroyed nine Group one and Group two drones over the White Sands Missile Range. Multiple US military and civilian agencies, as well as defence ministry officials of allied countries, attended the demonstration.

RI&S Electronic Warfare Systems president Annabel Flores said: “Drone threats are particularly dangerous in any environment, from soccer stadiums to battlefields, because they’re not easy to spot and take down. Jointly developed by Raytheon Missiles & Defense, and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, the NASAMS medium-range air defence solution includes the Sentinel radar, Fire Distribution Centre, and a suite of effectors.”

Raytheon expects that the addition of NASAMS to the list of systems that HELWS already uses will enable the company to offer an air defence system that can protect against uncrewed aircraft threats. According to a company statement, RI&S’ laser weapon systems are manufactured in Texas, and can work on land, in the air, and at sea.

RI&S is a Raytheon Technologies business. It develops advanced sensors, cyber services, and software solutions. Last year, RI&S secured a contract for the mobile sensor operations and maintenance services of the Cobra King radar system. (Source: army-technology.com)

 

Japanese firms release prototype counter drone high-energy laser weapons. Two Japanese defence firms have released prototypes of their high-energy laser weapons, according to a news bulletin from WION. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has developed a 10 KW high-energy laser effective over distances up to 1.2km. The anti-drone system can be mounted on ground vehicles, naval and air units. Kawasaki Heavy Industries has also released a high-energy counter drone device said to offer more powerful 100 KW capability that comes with higher operating power requirements. Equipped with an infrared camera, the counter measure can track and shoot down drones via the high-energy laser. It is due to be tested in the coming weeks.

 

US Army to Mount High-Energy Laser on Infantry Squad Vehicles to Destroy Drones. The US Army has awarded BlueHalo $45.7m to develop a 20-kilowatt high-energy laser, which it will mount on Infantry Squad Vehicles to protect them against drones. The base award, which includes a further $30.2m in options, will see the company develop a prototype of the Army Multi-Purpose High-Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) system. The US Army plans to deploy the weapon to protect Division and Brigade Combat Teams against growing drone threats on the battlefield. BlueHalo will leverage its many years of experience developing directed energy and optical targeting and tracking systems, including its deployed LOCUST Laser Weapon Systems (LWS). The AMP-HEL award is the latest in a series of BlueHalo contracts with the US armed forces. Last August, the US Department of Defense awarded the company a contract to supply its TITAN counter-drone system. The firm also received a 10-year contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory last June to construct a directed energy simulation range to test and train with high-energy laser weapons. In addition to developing high-energy laser counter-drone capabilities and associated platforms, BlueHalo has also developed an offensive drone swarm platform.

The US Army awarded the Virginia-based company a $14m contract to provide its HIVE small unmanned aircraft system in March 2022. The company said that these systems and the AMP-HEL combine the latest in precision optical and laser hardware, advanced software, artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms, processing, and adaptive countermeasures to track, identify and engage a wide variety of targets.

 

US Army short-range air defense laser prototypes take down drones at Yuma. Downed drones littered the battlefield at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona during a live-fire test of the Stryker-based Short-Range Air Defense system prototypes with 50-kilowatt lasers, according to the director of Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office.

The Army is now receiving its first platoon-set of the systems, taking the first two of the Directed Energy Maneuver-SHORAD prototypes to Yuma earlier this year for training with soldiers. The third prototype is about to go into acceptance testing, according to Rasch, and the fourth will be delivered within the next couple of months.

Delivering the first platoon-set — four DE M-SHORAD prototypes — will complete RCCTO’s mission, but the office won’t stop there. The Army fielded its M-SHORAD system with a kinetic capability to Europe in response to an urgent operational need.

Then RCCTO, in partnership with Army Test and Evaluation Command, will take the DE M-SHORAD into a user assessment beginning in the fourth quarter of FY23 through the first quarter of FY24. Already the system has come a long way, Rasch said, compared to the prototypes the Army evaluated just a year ago. The effort to put a laser on an M-SHORAD vehicle began in mid-2019, when the Army awarded KBR subsidiary Kord Technologies a contract to integrate a laser system onto the vehicle. Kord, as the program’s prime contractor, subsequently awarded subcontracts to Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies teams to develop the laser module. The competition between Northrop and Raytheon to produce the laser module was intended to culminate in a shoot-off between the two teams. Kord and the Army then planned to agree on a winner and proceed with integration of the selected module onto three more Strykers to make a platoon’s worth of directed energy SHORAD systems.

Supplied to both teams was a General Dynamics Land Systems-built Stryker and a power and thermal management system from Rocky Research, a Nevada-based company focused on thermal management technology. Rocky Research was acquired by Honeywell in October 2020.

The Army plans to procure another kinetic interceptor to ultimately replace the Stinger missile currently used in the M-SHORAD. According to FY24 budget documents, the service will award prototype contracts in the third quarter of FY23 and will design, develop and build prototypes by the third quarter of FY27.

A technology demonstration for the new missile will take place in the third quarter of FY24. Developmental testing will occur from the second quarter of FY26 through the third quarter of FY27, followed by an operational assessment in the third quarter of FY27.

The Army would then enter into low-rate initial production in the fourth quarter of FY27 through the fourth quarter of FY29, the documents show.

The RCCTO is also working on a smaller laser weapon for the Army’s Infantry Squad Vehicle as well. The Army selected SAIC to integrate the 20-kilowatt laser onto the GM Defense manufactured vehicle. Prototyping will take place from the second quarter of FY23 through the fourth quarter of FY24, according to the Army’s budget documents. (Excerpt) (Source: Defense News)

 

May Developments

 

In May Diehl Defence reported that it has demonstrated the interoperability of its IRIS-T SLM ground-based air defence system – including a counter drone capability – in NATO’s recent Joint Project Optic Windmill (JPOW) exercise.

“Exercise JPOW took place in March 2023 at Vredepeel in the Netherlands, with the main exercise objective being ‘Peer Opponent, Multi Domain.’ Held every two years since 1996, this year’s exercise focused on integrated air defence and interoperability at all levels of command. 13 different nations conducted individual experiments and joint missions with their systems,” according to the company. “The interoperability of IRIS-T SLM was demonstrated by testing its connectivity, time synchronization and air situation exchange in the network. The management of tactical data links necessary for this as well as “command and control” experiments were also part of the exercise. The achievement of this milestone in the program’s history will help accelerate the immediate procurement of the system by the German government.”

For more information: https://www.diehl.com/defence/en/press-and-media/news/diehl-defence-demonstrates-interoperability-for-its-iris-t-slm-ground-based-air-defence-system-in-nato-exercise-jpow/

 

EOS gave more information on how its Slinger counter-UAS ammunition can work in an urban environment. “The benefit of the proximity fused ammunition is that is designed to air burst into very small fragments,” according to Jo Ramsay General Manager, Global Marketing at the company. These fragments present a significantly lower risk when compare with other explosive and traditional kinetic rounds. This combined with the Slinger’s One Shot One Kill accuracy means that counter drone engagements that in the past might have involved hundreds if not thousands of rounds being fired into the air to achieve a drone kill, can now be replaced with a much smaller number of less dangerous rounds.” In April EOS secured a second conditional contract to supply up to fifty Remote Weapon Systems (RWS) to Ukraine, including ammunition, spares, and related services.

 

June Developments

 

USMC want $200m for powerful drone-killing machines.  By fall 2024, Marine Corps low altitude air defense battalions will begin receiving a powerful new weapon: Marine air defense integrated systems, or L-MADIS, a vehicle-mounted powerhouse that can detect and shoot down hostile drones or even low-flying helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Inside the 2024 budget request is more than $200m to purchase the systems and fund upgrades to make them even more formidable against aerial targets. The operational debut of MADIS came in July 2019, when its light version, or L-MADIS, mounted on a variant of the Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle shot down an Iranian drone while deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship Boxer. The mission, which came about a month after Iran downed an expensive U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk, showcased the transportability and effectiveness of the MADIS family of systems. With air defense identified as a focus area in Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger’s Force Design 2030, and the MADIS family of systems specifically called out as a priority, the Marine Corps is substantially ready to invest in the technology.

The requested funding for fiscal 2024 will include $130.2m, or about $10m apiece, to buy 13 MADIS Increment 1 systems, to be mounted on top of joint light tactical vehicles; $24.6m to retrofit seven previously procured systems with existing technology; and another $12.5m for training and logistics. Another $8m is dedicated to procuring engineering change orders “required to ensure increased lethality against evolving threats,” according to a budget justification document. The document adds that the MADIS Increment 1 Block 2 upgrade, which will start the acquisition process by fall, “will focus on kinetic and non-kinetic capability supporting increased lethality.” The Block 1 JLTV-mounted MADIS system comes in two variants. Mk1, for airborne threats, includes turret-launched and shoulder-fired Stinger missiles for mounted and dismounted ops, multifunctional electronic warfare capability and an electro-optical infrared optic. The MK2, specialized for drone-killing, includes multi-functional electronic warfare, 360-degree radar, and a command-and-control communications suite. L-MADIS, which is small enough to be transported in a sling below an H-53 helicopter, also comes as a two-vehicle set. The Mk-1 variant can transmit and receive data from air and ground platforms, while the Mk-2 adds target detection, tracking, and friend-or-foe identification, according to budget documents. Easily deployable aboard ships, these systems will provide an added layer of defense for Marine expeditionary units at sea. The 2024 budget request includes $32.5m for L-MADIS procurement, including $23m for five L-MADIS systems and the remainder for logistics, labor and training. Prior to fielding, several MADIS and L-MADIS systems already are operating in the fleet. An L-MADIS vehicle deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship Bataan with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit is currently the only counter-unmanned aerial system on the East Coast organic to the Marine Corps, according to releases. (Excerpt) (Source: Defense News)

 

Northrop Grumman is continuing its partnership with the U.S. Army to regain the “combat capabilities high ground” by developing several new advanced ammunition types for the company’s Bushmaster® Chain Gun®, an autocannon integrated extensively on U.S. and allied combat vehicles, ships and attack aircraft. Northrop Grumman recently partnered with the U.S. Army to begin fielding a family of programmable airburst munitions (PABM) called the Mk310. A PABM is ideal for defeating combatants armed with ATGMs or those hiding behind structures or geographical features. Its fuze — the device that detonates the PABM — can be set, prior to firing, to detonate the warhead upon impact, at a specified distance beyond impact, or in the air at a preset distance from the gun.

 

Non-Kinetic C-UAS Defeat Solutions

 

May Developments

 

L3Harris launched its Operationally Deployed Counter-sUAS Capability. Sensor- and effector-agnostic, the L3Harris Drone Guardian Counter-sUAS solution gives operators the ability to detect, track and identify sUAS threats, fusing data from a distributed sensor array to generate informative, actionable intelligence. Underpinned by easy-to-use command and control (C2) software, Drone Guardian operates in the background and requires low manpower, minimising the operational burden.  Through non-kinetic L3Harris BROADSHIELD® and CORVUS® electronic warfare countermeasures as well as multiple kinetic effectors, Drone Guardian further enables the safe and reliable defeat of drones and drone swarms as needed. Currently in-service protecting mission-critical infrastructure in the UK, this trusted solution is implemented by experts that specialise in site survey, optimised sensor location and the delivery of comprehensive, integrated systems.

 

Dedrone launches cloud-based City-Wide Drone detection system for remote C-UAS. Dedrone has launched its City-Wide Drone Detection solution, available in 40 major cities across the globe, including the three largest cities in the US (New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago). Dedrone’s City-wide solution is immediately available to C-UAS personnel in their Security Operating Center (SOC) or on their phone without any hardware install. “Dedrone has the infrastructure in place to cover 50% of the US population with City-Wide Drone Detection.

In May, Dedrone announced an expanded partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under Section 383 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, which provides for testing of counterdrone detection, tracking, identification and mitigation technologies to develop clearer regulations around the use of these technologies at airports.

Dedrone was part of the first round of technologies selected for testing at Atlantic City International Airport and has now been invited to expand to a second airport as part of the ongoing research being conducted by the FAA to make airports safer from disruptions caused by drones.

DedroneTracker, a sensor-fusion platform providing drone detection, tracking, identification (DTI) and mitigation via the most sophisticated AI capabilities on the market, is currently being used at both airports. DedroneTracker confirms drone presence and determines the precise location of drone. Based on real-time drone behavior, imagery, known flight modeling and other inputs, the AI engine offers the operator a prioritized queue of targets through autonomous background interrogation while simultaneously tracking multiple friendly drones.

Dedrone has also been selected to work with the FAA on bringing safe mitigation technologies to airports, including the recently released DedroneDefender precision jammer. DedroneDefender comes equipped with narrow-band jamming to minimize disruption to other devices and meets military standard MIL-STD-810H. This use of narrow-band or “comb” jamming reduces the risk of interference with other systems in the area.

 

AI-driven: Autonomous C2 threat prioritization on one screen. THOR’s high-power microwave counter drone weapon was tested in an engagement with a swarm of multiple targets. On 5 April 2023, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) put on a demonstration of their Tactical High-power Operational Responder (THOR) at the Chestnut Test Site, located at Kirtland Air Force Base. During the demonstration, THOR’s high-power microwave counter drone weapon was tested in an engagement with a swarm of multiple targets. The Department of Defence are working to address the evolving risks posed by drone swarms. They are actively exploring various technologies, including directed energy, to increase the capabilities to counter these threats in the future. AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate has been testing the THOR system for almost two years.

The ARFL developed a new counter-swarm electromagnetic weapon called THOR, winner of the ‘What’s New in Defence’ 2021 award. THOR is specifically designed to defend airbases and is expected to have a significant influence in the field of defence technology. The device is powered by a wall plug and is capable of utilising energy to render drones inoperable, providing non-kinetic defence of multiple targets.

The THOR system can be stowed entirely within a 20-foot transport container, allowing for ease of transportation via a C-130 aircraft. According to ARFL, the system can be set up and run within three hours, and the user interface has been specifically designed to require minimal training.

The total expenditure for the development of the technology has amounted to around $18m.

According to Adrian Lucero, the programme manager of THOR at AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate, the THOR team conducted a series of drone flights to replicate a genuine swarm attack scenario.

“THOR has never been tested against these types of drones before, but this did not stop the system from dropping the targets out of the sky with its non-kinetic, speed-of-light High-Power Microwave, or HPM pulses,” he said.

Lucero went on to say that THOR exhibited effectiveness in neutralising the swarm through its employment of a wide beam, high peak powers, and a fast-moving gimbal that tracked and disabled the targets.

The THOR deputy programme manager, Captain Tylar Hanson, commented that THOR was “extremely efficient” with its system firing almost continuously during the swarm engagement. “It is an early demonstrator, and we are confident we can take this same technology and make it more effective to protect our personnel around the world.” (Source:)

 

June Developments

 

Dedrone Defense Launched DedroneTactical to Meet Rising Demand for Agile, Expeditionary Multi-Sensor Counter-sUAS Solutions. Dedrone, the market leader in smart airspace security, today announced the launch of DedroneTactical, its agile CsUAS (counter small uncrewed aerial system) response kit, offering modular sensor-fusion and mitigation flexibility in the field, including Radio Frequency (RF) detect and defeat as well as camera and radar. All configurations leverage DedroneTracker.AI, the company’s AI-driven autonomous command and control (C2) platform that provides end-to-end CsUAS kill chain capabilities for dynamic situations in a portable solution. By leveraging DedroneTracker.AI, DedroneTactical delivers the fastest and most accurate CsUAS solution in any environment.

To date, Dedrone has sold more than 100 DedroneTactical kits to US and global governments, a key factor in the company’s >300% YOY annual growth rate. “The first half of 2023 has continued Dedrone’s incredible momentum from 2022, culminating in the new capabilities and equipment of our DedroneTactical solution, which were inspired by the demand of our federal customer base,” said Aaditya Devarakonda, CEO of Dedrone. DedroneTactical’s Base Kit supports several ruggedized RF sensors and BlueHalo Titan™ for EW defeat of RF-based sUAS across all protocols. All sensors are mounted on a single tactical mast and can be expanded to include additional remote DedroneSensors via wireless network links. The Extended Kit adds a second mast with radar and camera to enable both non-RF drone detection for autonomously navigated drones and as well as visual confirmation.

 

Radars, Thermal Imagers, Displays Software and Sensors

 

February Developments

Operational Solutions Ltd reports release of a new Drone Alert Service (DAS) product. DAS is a hardware-free intuitive drone detection solution. DAS is available through a range of subscription-based offerings, meaning that users can be alerted to drone activity in their perimeter, and view three years’ worth of historic data with subscriptions starting at GBP24 a day.

Accessible from a fixed IP address, DAS harnesses an array of remote sensors to rapidly detect drones entering pre-determined perimeters, and present users with a real-time overview of incursions. The interface delivers actionable insights, enabling users to understand drone activity at a glance and coordinate the most effective response.

Operational Solutions says DAS comes at a time when drones are more commonplace than ever. Consistently evolving in capability, drones can quickly enter secure perimeters to disrupt operations, damage assets, and conduct unauthorised surveillance in many unique ways.  Through this release, OSL hopes to empower a wide range of industries, from private residencies to engineering plants and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), to gain an advanced understanding of their airspace. For more information visit: Operationalsolutionsltd.co.uk

 

Milanion combines Skylock C-UAS with Agema UGV amphibious vehicle for mobile solution. Milanion Group is exhibiting a range of counter drone and AI-based defence and security systems at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX 2023) in Abu Dhabi. Among products on show, the company has integrated the SKYLOCK counter drone system with the AgemaUGV all-terrain vehicle to offer an amphibious, mobile drone surveillance unit capable of detection, verification and neutralisation of unauthorised drone threats. For more information: www.milaniongroup.com(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

SIGN4L unveils new mobile C-UAS solution. SIGN4L has unveiled a new mobile vehicular-based counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) at IDEX 2023, being held in Abu Dhabi from 20 to 24 February.

The platform, known as Sky Shield, provides full omnidirectional C-UAS protection in the tactical environment and can be deployed within five minutes, Filip Kostomlatsky, senior programme manager for electronic warfare and intelligence at SIGN4L,told Janes.

According to Kostomlatsky, the platform is equipped with an X-band radar, an electro-optical camera, a directional finder, and an RF detector and omnidirectional jammer that is capable of detecting and neutralising multiple UASs from up to 3 km away. The radar, the camera, and the antenna are all provided by third-party companies. He was unable to elaborate further at the time of publication.

The RF detector and jammer operates in the 400 MHz to 6 GHz frequency range. A takeover control capability is under development, he added.

The platform was developed to meet a requirement from the United Arab Emirates for a mobile tactical C-UAS. The platform is also available for other customers on request. (Source: Janes)

 

DroneShield and Pierce Aerospace Partner, Integrating Advanced Remote ID and C-UAS Technologies. DroneShield, a global industry leader in C-UAS (Counter-UAS or Counterdrone) and Pierce Aerospace have announced a partnership to integrate Pierce Aerospace’s Flight Portal ID, Remote ID technologies into DroneShield’s C-UAS and Command and Control systems, including DroneSentry-C2.

DroneShield, with offices in the United States and Australia, and presence in over 100 countries globally, is a leader in C-UAS technology with a recent recommendation from the U.S. DOD’s Joint C-sUAS Office (JCO) and numerous systems deployed worldwide. DroneShield customers range from the United States Air Force to Australian Defence Force and multiple European military agencies. The two companies announced a partnership to integrate Pierce Aerospace’s Flight Portal ID, Remote ID technology suite, into DroneShield’s products to provide enhanced situational awareness to DroneShield end users. This integration gives end users advanced UAS identification capabilities that were previously not available. These joint capabilities will be available to customers in 2023.

“We’ve worked with DroneShield for a few years at private and DOD-sponsored C-UAS integration events,” said Aaron Pierce, CEO of Pierce Aerospace. “DroneShield has been a consistent advocate for our capabilities, and their technologies offer a great platform for integration. Their C-UAS systems are proven, and I’m excited to see end users work with an integrated solutions package that pairs radio frequency based detect and defeat, innovative command and control, and our Remote ID and Combat ID capabilities.”

 

Radar Pro launched a lightweight, cost-effective and with very high performance. Taiwan’s Tron Future Tech is redefining the effectiveness of counter-UAS technologies. The company’s industry-leading product is the T.Radar Pro range of lightweight, high-performance C-UAS AESA (active electronically scanned array) radars. These offer customers a 5km micro drone (RCS 0.01m2) detection capability from a unit which weighs just 15.6 kg and which can fit in airline hand-luggage. It requires only one person to transport, install and operate and compared to other units on the market is extremely cost-effective.Customers who need to integrate large numbers of networked, effective drone detection systems can now do so without breaking the bank. Multiple T.Radar Pro radars can seamlessly work together to extend surveillance coverage and its software-defined programming allows the network of connected radars to function on flexible designs with different usage scenarios. The user interface is simple and friendly. Information on detected targets is uploaded to the cloud; operators can use an iPad or laptop to access the display and operate the radar, without additional training. And the patented T-shape phase array antenna technology significantly reduces manufacturing costs, making the T-Radar Pro the most cost-effective unit in its class. Tron Future Tech may be a relative newcomer but it is rapidly developing into a centre of excellence for electronic scanning radars in the region. In late December 2022 the company announced it had successfully won a US$15 m contract from the Taiwan Space Agency to develop a satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload as part of the third phase of Taiwan’s national space programme, comprising six SAR satellite systems to be produced by the end of 2030 along with optical remote sensing satellites and communication satellites. Tron Future Tech was founded in 2018 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The company is supported by over 100 professional engineers specializing in developing and producing the world’s most advanced electronic scanning radar and satellite communication systems.

March Developments

Operational Solutions: New Drone Alert Service enables cost-effective situational intelligence. Operational Solutions are pleased to announce the release of an innovative new product, Drone Alert Service (DAS). DAS will provide users with a truly cost-effective, hardware-free, and intuitive drone detection solution.

DAS is available through a range of subscription-based offerings, meaning that users can be alerted to drone activity in their perimeter, and view three years’ worth of historic data where available to better understand activity and trends for as little as £24 a day.

Accessible from a fixed IP address, DAS harnesses an array of remote sensors to rapidly detect drones entering pre-determined perimeters, and present users with a real-time overview of incursions. The interface delivers actionable insights, enabling users to understand drone activity at a glance and coordinate the most effective response possible.

DAS comes at a time when drones are more commonplace than ever. Consistently evolving in capability, drones can quickly enter secure perimeters to disrupt operations, damage assets, and conduct unauthorised surveillance in many unique ways.

Previously, users have had to counter this risk by investing in costly equipment, licenses, and training to navigate the rising risks of drone incursions and their effect on perimeter security. DAS removes this need entirely, offering seamless access to alerts and insights through a responsive online interface. With no previous user experience required, or ongoing system maintenance costs to consider, any user can now take advantage of greater situational intelligence on drone activity.

Through this release, OSL hopes to empower a wide range of industries, from private residencies to engineering plants and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), to gain an advanced understanding of their airspace, enabling safer spaces for all.

 

Blighter Surveillance Systems was awarded a contract to supply its Multi-Mode A800 3D e-scan radars to Raytheon UK as part of a Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) System project with UK MoD.  The project will deliver a demonstrator system to showcase the capability of the Raytheon Technologies-manufactured laser in neutralising small Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), using two A800 radars for initial target detection and direction of the laser’s targeting system. The laser weapon system will be mounted to a vehicle, with the ground-based A800 providing detection and designation nearby.

Blighter will be assisting with the design phase of the system and developing a concept of operation and support during the trials, which will take place at a UK MoD test range. Blighter was chosen for this contract not only for the best-in-class detection capabilities of the radar itself, but also because the A800 is designed with integration in mind, able to seamlessly operate in cohesion with existing Command and Control (C2) systems.

Blighter’s A800 3D radar (www.blighter.com/a800) offers an innovative ground-based solution to threat detection, utilising Multi-Mode surveillance capability usually reserved only for large-scale radar systems and packaging it into a smaller, more flexible radar with a maximum range of 20km. The A800’s Multi-Mode capability allows it to detect targets in the air, on land, and at sea, within the operating region of the LDEW, using state-of-the-art clutter filters to simplify the LDEW test regime.

The A800 multi-mode drone detection radar is ideally suited to detection of UAVs and also capable of being mounted to vehicles, towers and masts, and will be supplied in an ITAR-free off-the-shelf configuration.

The Blighter A800 is a 3D multi-mode radar, based on the latest generation monopulse antenna technology. It provides the unique ability to use its optimised air security modes to search for small drones, and at the same time, can use its ground/sea surveillance modes to search for surface targets over land and water.

The A800 performs its air, ground and sea detection functions simultaneously, allowing multi-mode operation with simple user setup. The A800 multi-mode radar uses triple, transmit and receive, radar-beam spotlighting to focus all its energy on targets of interest. The radar ignores ground clutter and off-beam targets, giving rapid scanning of a 90° wide by 40° high cone.

A800 3D Multi-Mode Radar

The A800 inherits its core technology from Blighter’s TRL-9 (technology readiness level nine) field-proven A400 series air security radars.

However, the A800 combines the ability to detect land and water-based objects, which of course may include the drone operator. In addition, the A800 reports that targets are either: surface, flying or high-flying.

Countering Low, Slow and Small (LSS) Threats

The A800 acts as the key detect element in C-UAS (counter-unmanned aerial system) products. It is designed to counter current low, slow and small (LSS) threats caused by the mis-use of commercial ‘hobby’ drones. (Including the commonly used ‘DJI Phantom’ style quadcopters.) To further enhance system performance, the A800 features smart micro-Doppler target filtering with AI target classification. This reduces false alarms from wildlife and helps improve the detection of multicopter and winged drones.

Ruggedised and Secure

The A800’s rugged e-scan design with zero moving parts, allows it to operate in harsh conditions of high or low temp. It comes with mounting options for:

• Tripods and quad-pods
• Land vehicles and trailers
• Fixed towers and masts

For use in critical security projects, the radar is fitted with dual Gigabit Ethernet interfaces with built-in robust data encryption. A software developer’s kit (SDK) is available for download. The SDK allows system integrators to quickly upgrade their existing wide area perimeter security and C-UAS systems.  Such systems can then make full use of the A800 radar’s advanced long-range detection features.  The A800 connects with the leading industry standard PSIM (physical security information management) platforms and defence C2 (command & control) systems.

Blighter C-UAS Overview. Blighter Surveillance Systems (‘Blighter’) is a British company based near to Cambridge.  Blighter designs, manufactures and supports a range of unique ground-based radar systems.  The radars can detect distant moving objects (including drones), day and night, and in all weather conditions.

Originally launched in 2015, Blighter’s A400 series air security radars were originally deployed on US M-ATV and Stryker vehicles to detect and track UAVs.  The A400 then went on to become the main cueing sensor in the US DoD deployed AUDS counter-UAS system, which played a key role in defeating ISIS drones in the Battle of Mosul (2016 to 2017).  In 2020, Blighter launched the new A800 3D multi-mode drone detection radar, offering high-end, simultaneous multi-mode functionality at an accessible price point.

Blighter’s innovative e-scan radars address a wide range of markets in the Defence and Security sectors, and, to date, they have sold over 600 radars to more than 35 countries.  Product modularity and flexibility allow the radars to be deployed on buildings, towers and vehicles, or as dismounted systems on tripods.

The radars offer continuous, persistent, 24/7 wide-area surveillance with zero moving parts and ultra-high reliability.  System cost of ownership is extremely low, with proven cost-saving benefits and lower through-life costs compared with traditional mechanically-scanning radars.  The radars are also easy to learn and have a low overall training burden, making them simple to deploy.

 

Aerial Defence announces small, lightweight counter drone detector with ATAK integration. Drone technology company Aerial Defence is offering a small form factor Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) designed to detect, track, and identify drones that are transmitting a RemoteID (ASTM F3411-22 (US) and ASD-STAN (Europe). Despite its small size of just 2.25″ (56mm) and weight of less than 15 grams, the sensor offers a detection capability that can detect drones in real-time. Additionally, it has a user-readable display and full Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) integration for situational awareness, says the company.

By integrating this sensor with ATAK, any connected operator can monitor drone activity in real-time and use the platform’s powerful tools to coordinate assets and respond to the threat. This integration provides users with a complete picture of the drone’s location and trajectory and allows for the creation of custom geofencing and no-fly zones, providing an additional layer of protection for sensitive areas.

For more information visit: www.aerial-defence.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

Toshiba unveils long-range detection radar. Japanese firm Toshiba revealed a radio frequency (RF) detection sensor and a long-range detection radar as part of a counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) solution at the DSEI Japan 2023 show in Chiba.

The C-UAS solution, which the company has not named, includes an RF sensor; a short-, medium-, and long-range radar; two cameras; and a net gun-based autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) countermeasure.

Toshiba said its RF detection sensor passively detects UAS control signals at distances of 4 km. It said its short-, medium-, and long-range radars can detect UASs from 0.8 km, 1.8 km, and 5 km, respectively.

The company added that the detection range of its long-range radar can be increased up to 20 km, depending on the radar cross-section (RCS) of the hostile UAS. The information obtained by the radar is cued to a Bosch PTZ camera and an unidentified US-origin optical and thermal camera. The autonomous UAV countermeasure is deployed to capture a hostile UAS by deploying net guns, which can tow the UAS to a safe location.

(Source: Janes)

 

Bluvec Technologies launches ADS-B based detection and tracking system. Canadian C-UAS company Bluvec Technologies has announced the launch of a new feature to the RF Blusensor.

“The ADS-B based detection and tracking system is now officially available for customers, providing enhanced capabilities for detecting and surveilling aircraft,” according to the company. “The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology is a crucial component of air traffic management systems, allowing for safer and more efficient use of airspace. By using GPS technology to determine the aircraft’s position and broadcasting that information to other aircraft and ground stations, ADS-B provides real-time communication of aircraft position, speed, and altitude information. ADS-B technology has many advantages over traditional systems, including higher accuracy, more excellent coverage, and lower maintenance costs. It also provides additional information such as traffic data, which can improve safety and efficiency.

“Blusensor’s new ADS-B-based detection and tracking system significantly enhances its capabilities, providing a valuable tool for airports and other facilities.

“It is significant for Smart Cities’ aerospace traffic management, including Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM). It can make Blusensors even more potent for situational awareness, UAV, and manned aircraft management.” For more information: https://bluvec.com/Resources#news

 

Aerial Defence announces small, lightweight counter drone detector with ATAK integration. Drone technology company Aerial Defence is offering a small form factor Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) designed to detect, track, and identify drones that are transmitting a RemoteID (ASTM F3411-22 (US) and ASD-STAN (Europe). Despite its small size of just 2.25″ (56mm) and weight of less than 15 grams, the sensor offers a detection capability that can detect drones in real-time. Additionally, it has a user-readable display and full Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) integration for situational awareness, says the company.

By integrating this sensor with ATAK, any connected operator can monitor drone activity in real-time and use the platform’s powerful tools to coordinate assets and respond to the threat. This integration provides users with a complete picture of the drone’s location and trajectory and allows for the creation of custom geofencing and no-fly zones, providing an additional layer of protection for sensitive areas.

For more information visit: www.aerial-defence.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

April Developments

 

Rheinmetall unveils its new AMMR: a state-of-the-art radar for C-UAS, SHORAD and VSHORAD applications. Rheinmetall has unveiled the Oerlikon AMMR, the Group’s latest radar system. The Oerlikon AESA Multi-Mission Radar (AMMR) was developed entirely at Rheinmetall Italia in Rome, underscoring once again the subsidiary’s role as Rheinmetall’s radar centre of excellence. The new radar is now ready for series production.

Rheinmetall’s new radar responds to highly challenging current and emerging short- and very short-range aerial threats: the new radar successfully detects and processes mini- and micro-unmanned aerial vehicles; incoming rockets, artillery and mortars engaging in high angle attacks; as well as air/surface weapons and cruise missiles. Thanks to adaptive full digital beamforming techniques in the S-band, Oerlikon AMMR automatically detects, classifies and tracks the full spectrum of aerial threats.

Rheinmetall Italia’s Oerlikon AESA Multi-Mission Radar is a state-of-the-art modular radar offering superior performance and ease of operation as well as integration into a wide range of platforms. It can track and classify multiple threats simultaneously. Oerlikon AMMR is designed to operate in stationary mode or on the move, even under gruelling environmental and jamming conditions. Moreover, it features cutting-edge electronic counter-countermeasures. The radar is fully software defined, with a configuration capable of adapting to the specific operational scenario. It can be easily upgraded in future to keep pace with evolving threat scenarios.

 

BAE Breaks New Ground With Successful Test of its Multiple Object Tracking Radar. BAE Systems successfully completed prototype tests of its Multiple Object Tracking Radar (iMOTR), a mobile instrumentation radar that provides precise radar data on multiple objects.

The company demonstrated iMOTR’s ability to meet critical key performance parameters – range, transportability, accuracy, and beacon tracking – that other radars, with comparable cost, size, weight, and power, cannot.

iMOTR is a new approach to radar, as it uses low-cost phased-array technology developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to provide an affordable high-performance radar. The phased arrays are operated with an interferometry design that makes iMOTR more accurate than conventional tactical phased array radars. iMOTR is positioned to be the lowest cost choice for Department of Defense test instrumentation to measure performance at test ranges within and outside of the United States.

BAE Systems’ test in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. included gathering of time-space-position information data collected on airborne test vehicles. BAE Systems continues to invest in expanding iMOTR’s technical capabilities and to refine its requirements to support military weapons and protection systems development. BAE Systems Air & Space Force Solutions team, based in Fort Walton Beach, has more than four decades of experience delivering precision, high-accuracy radars to government test ranges across the globe. (Source: ASD Network)

 

Teledyne FLIR, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, has announced continued momentum within its Thermal by FLIR program for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS), highlighted by the integration of its Hadron 640R dual visible-thermal payload within the recently announced Teal 2 drone and the Lepton 3.5 thermal micro camera within the BRINC LEMUR 2.

Made in the USA, Hadron 640R pairs a performance-leading 640×512 resolution radiometric Boson thermal camera with a 64MP visible camera in a single easy-to-integrate module. With a size, weight, and power (SWaP) optimized design, it is an ideal dual-sensor payload for integration into sUAS, unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), robotic platforms, and AI-ready applications where battery life and run-time are mission-critical.

“Teledyne FLIR maintains an impressive track record of innovation by developing industry-leading thermal imaging sensors and supporting integrators through the development and launch cycle,” said George Matus, founder and CEO of Teal. “The Hadron 640R provides the military-grade Teal 2 with the situational awareness front-line personnel require to dominate the night in support of defense and public safety operations in a variety of environments.”

One of seven advanced sensors integrated into the LEMUR 2, the Lepton micro thermal camera is small enough to rest on the tip of a finger, providing 160×120 thermal resolution for capturing accurate, calibrated, and noncontact temperature data within a lightweight and low-power package. It helps provide law enforcement and emergency services with greater situational awareness in total darkness or smoke without placing personnel in danger.

 

MARSS completes experiments with UK MOD, showcasing NiDAR’s C-UAS capabilities and command and control systems. MARSS has successfully demonstrated the C-UAS capabilities of its NiDAR system to the UK MOD. Alongside partner defence brands, Saab and MSI, MARSS showed how NiDAR optimises the end-to-end kill chain during a series of experiments at the Defence BattleLab in Dorset.  As seen recently in Ukraine, and routinely in the Middle East, drones and other Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) pose an ever-increasing threat to critical infrastructure, civilian life and military operations. They are cheap, disposable, and lethal, with people being targeted by weaponised drones on a daily basis.

Developed by MARSS, NiDAR combines state-of-the-art sensors, effectors and AI into a smart and intuitive Command and Control (C2) system. NiDAR optimises the operator interface, automates detection and reduces the response time to identify potential threats.

The experiments at Defence BattleLab were designed by the UK MOD, to compare a traditional C2 system – where a number of operators use multiple data streams to compile information to identify the threat and design potential countermeasures – with NiDAR, a single interface that presents information and available countermeasures, and can be operated by a single user with minimal training.

During the experiment, an independent pilot flew a tactical reconnaissance drone to imitate a threat. The results showed that NiDAR’s C2 system, was able to autonomously detect the threat and interrogate the data to offer a tactical decision significantly faster than a traditional C2 setup with multiple highly trained operators.

Mike Collier, MARSS’ Business Development Manager, said about the event, “We set out to show the art of the possible, using NiDAR to create a dynamic, capable, evolving C2. This was a great opportunity to compare our system to a traditional C2 setup and show just how much more efficient operations can be.”

Connected to NiDAR were a range of sensors including a SAAB Giraffe radar, optics by L3 Harris, and countermeasures by MSI Defence. Each sensor fed data to the system, where NiDAR then presented information and available options to the user, such as locations and assets to be protected, object types and threat classification, and any available countermeasures.

Rob Balloch, MARSS VP Sales said, “Thank you to jHub, BattleLab, the UK MOD and our partners for being part of this highly successful event. We look forward to continuing the conversation and looking at how MARSS can help deliver world leading C2 to enhance national security and continue saving lives and protecting infrastructure.”

 

Teledyne FLIR helps to keep airspace surrounding Swedish critical infrastructure free of drones. Teledyne FLIR successfully completed an installation of a long-range drone detection system for a critical infrastructure site in Sweden. A smart slew-to-cue system, combining radar, thermal imaging and visual sensors, makes sure no unmanned aircraft system goes undetected.

As drones are becoming commercially available to a wider audience, effective drone detection and monitoring has become increasingly important, especially for critical infrastructures and sites, such as power plants, utility centers and airports.

However, effective and accurate drone detection is challenging. In contrast to land-based monitoring and detection, aerial detection has a much wider, dome-shaped area to cover, with no real reference points. In addition, today’s drones are fast and small, and they can demonstrate erratic flying behavior. Visual detection systems have an additional challenge, in that they need to detect objects in variable sky and weather conditions.

Drone detection for critical infrastructures

Teledyne FLIR recently provided a robust drone detection system for a Swedish critical infrastructure customer. The project – completed early 2022 – was also made possible by Teledyne FLIR’s longtime distributor and integration partner CCTV-Systems AB, a company which has been in the video surveillance systems business since 1982. Just like Teledyne FLIR, CCTV-Systems AB has vast experience in providing threat detection systems for industrial and security sectors all over the world.

Teledyne FLIR offered an integrated drone detection system based on radar and a combination of thermal and visible sensors. The system uses a so-called slew-to-cue feature, where a radar will continuously scan the sky, detect the drones from a long distance and automatically point the FLIR PTZ camera to the exact position of the detected drone, whereupon the camera will continue to track the moving object using its pan/tilt mechanism.

Integrated drone detection system

The system includes the FLIR Ranger R8SS-3D radar, which can detect objects within a three-kilometer range and track up to 500 drone targets simultaneously, while effectively filtering bird detections. The R8SS-3D provides complete hemispherical detection and is able to monitor the coverage area four times per second, run 24/7, and detect all ground and aerial threats in virtually any climate, day and night.

Radar detections are continuously tracked with the FLIR Ranger HDC MR, a high-definition mid-range surveillance system which uses thermal imaging technology to detect threats, even in conditions where visibility is poor, at night or in degraded weather conditions, such as fog, rain and clouds. Everything the system picks up is monitored through FLIR’s Cameleon software platform. This software enables operators to control the surveillance system and share all detector information with other agencies.

Maximum detection accuracy

From the project onset the end-user’s minimum requirement was to obtain 100% accurate classification at 500 meters. Teledyne FLIR was able to far exceed this requirement thanks to thorough tuning and calibration, and to the system’s superior optics and high-performance radar capability.

Teledyne FLIR also ensures that the system can operate with maximum uptime, not considered a luxury for a critical infrastructure where 24/7 situational awareness is always needed. The system makes use of an uncooled thermal sensor, which requires minimal maintenance leading to practically zero downtime. On the other hand, a cooled camera would require periodic replacement of the cooling elements.

“This system is an ideal configuration for any critical infrastructure site that wants to keep its airspace free from threats and that needs 24/7 decision-making support,” says Eklund. “The system we installed in Sweden could also be used as a reliable, mid-range drone detection system for airports, refineries, nuclear plants, utilities and more.”

 

Observation Without Limits’ new GA7360 3D radar “can detect Phantom 4 drones at 2.25-2.5 km.”

Observation Without Limits (O.W.L.) recently announced the company’s all-new GA7360 3D Digital Radar System, which provides extended-range, 360° detection, tracking and classification of manned aircraft and drones.

According to a company press release:

“Available to customers in the second quarter of 2023, the GA7360 3D radar detects Phantom 4 drones at 2.25-2.5 km ranges, Cessna 172 aircraft and vehicles at a 7 km range and humans at 3 km. O.W.L. unveiled this newest 2D and 3D radars member at ISC West 2023, March 29-31, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“The GA7360 3D system provides extended mid-range detection and tracking capabilities for the full range of low-altitude airspace. The most common applications for this new radar are basic drone situational awareness, integrated counter-drone/UAS system, visual line of sight (BVLOS) and detect-and-avoid (DAA) operations. It also surveils low-altitude airspace and ground and water surfaces.

“It integrates with a growing list of third-party systems including passive RF sensors, acoustic sensors, HD and thermal ONVIF cameras, counter-drone mitigation systems (electronic and kinetic), counter-drone command-and-control software and video management systems.

“An additional integration option is our Precision Tracker which, when integrated, serves as the extended mid-range surveillance. It is capable of detecting and tracking drones. When detected, the GA7360 3D cues and slews the Precision Tracker Micro-Doppler Radar to verify, at over a 2 km+ range it is a drone. It also enables ongoing tracking of near-stationary drones in hover mode.

For more information: O.W.L. Launches GA7360 3D Radar for Drone Awareness, Counter-UAS, and BVLOS (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

May Developments

 

Echodyne, the radar platform company,  announced that ANRA Technologies, a leader in uncrewed vehicle mission management and operations, has integrated Echodyne’s radar data into its Single Integrated Operating Picture (SIOP) platform. Customers use ANRA’s SIOP application for a single integrated visualization that detects, locates, and tracks cooperative and non-cooperative aircraft. ANRA wanted to expand its portfolio of drone detection sensors by adding Echodyne radar, providing their SIOP customers with a premier situational awareness option that can be used independently or fused with other sensors for a complete and correlated airspace picture for all sizes of aircraft.

ANRA’s platform provides best-in-class airspace management for drones, spanning mission planning, strategic deconfliction, tracking, monitoring, and more. Echodyne is a U.S. designer and manufacturer of advanced commercial radar solutions for advanced air mobility (AAM) due to its market-leading low-SWaP, high-performance line of metamaterials electronic scanning array (MESA®) radars. Combining MESA data accuracy with ANRA’s SIOP extensive airspace management offerings reduces friction for UAS operators seeking to scale services. The companies have previously collaborated, such as early integration with ANRA’s UAS Traffic Management (UTM) platform, DroneUSS, and in the UK with ANRA’s SIAOP project, with broader customer availability now possible through ANRA’s SIOP.

Despite significant technological advancements, there are many barriers to full-scale drone adoption. Ensuring safe drone operations in the presence of other aircraft will ultimately determine whether the economic benefits of drones are realized for complex operations such as urgent medical deliveries and urban mobility. Additionally, increased and comprehensive airspace awareness assists security agencies, law enforcement entities, and other government officials in distinguishing compliant or authorized airspace users from those potentially posing a safety or security risk. This will become vitally important as the number of drone operations increases in all classes of airspace.

ANRA’s integration of Echodyne’s radar data addresses the technical challenge of detecting non-cooperative aircraft that do not electronically transmit their position. When combined with ANRA’s airspace management capabilities and cooperative surveillance (aircraft that are electronically providing their location), it creates a comprehensive airspace situational awareness solution. On one display, all air traffic is displayed so authorities and operators can make informed decisions regarding safety and security in the volume of airspace proximate to their airport, critical infrastructure, or event.

 

Echodyne and Supernal Partner on Next-Generation Radar Solutions for Enhanced Advanced Air Mobility Safety. Echodyne, the radar platform company, announces today a strategic agreement with – and minority investment from – Supernal, Hyundai Motor Group’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) company. Supernal is developing an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle and is targeting launch of commercial flights in 2028. The collaboration between the two companies will focus on how to leverage Echodyne’s market-leading radars to enhance safety in Supernal’s vehicle and across ground-based operations.

The partnership spans the AAM ecosystem, from onboard systems for in-flight situational awareness to ground-based solutions for enhanced operational clarity in dense airspace, such as vertiports, flight areas and corridors. In the air, the Echodyne radar will provide all-weather airspace monitoring for advanced vehicles like Supernal’s in the near-term – and potential automated applications in the future. On the ground, the radar will deliver situational awareness data that complements the airborne radar, further enhancing the safety case and surpassing any product in its weight class. Echodyne and Supernal’s collaboration will help the fast-developing AAM industry achieve the highest aviation industry safety benchmarks. Echodyne serves customers across the defense, national security, critical infrastructure protection, uncrewed aircraft systems, and advanced air mobility markets worldwide. Its commercial radars, built on proprietary metamaterials electronic scanning array (MESA®) technology, are U.S. designed, manufactured and globally available under U.S Commerce Department export control regulations.

 

ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH and CONTROP Precision Technologies integrated CONTROP’s EO/IR camera systems in ESG’s ELYSION drone detection intelligence system to expand the capabilities of C-UAS systems, according to media reports. The integrated systems are designed to offer an attractive ratio in terms of size, weight, power (SWaP) and cost. ESG plans to continue to work closely together with CONTROP and other capable partners to drive the joint development of robust C-UAS sensors and effectors to meet the specific requirements of its customers.

“The continuous integration of trend-setting sensor and effector technologies is elementary to a sustainably successful detection and defence against uncooperative drones,” said a joint company press release. “An important capability is the enhancement of the verification of (incoming) threats or detections. Enhanced algorithms of ESG´s C-UAS core intelligence ELYSION hereby enable ever-increasing levels of automation and a combat proven mission system back bone that provides interoperability of multiple systems in complex scenarios.

 

DroneShield began the rollout of a major update to the DroneSentry-C2 platform. These enhancements are available for all DroneSentry-C2 systems deployed with DroneSentry customers globally, who are enrolled with an active firmware subscription, via secure cloud or on-prem updates. Following the release of the ground-breaking DroneSentry-C2 SFAI (Sensor Fusion Artificial Intelligence) Engine last quarter, the DroneShield team has worked closely with its customers to refine the user experience and performance of its industry leading capability.

Major enhancements include:

• New ‘Actions’ Panel – All operator actions required for drone detection and mitigation have been centralised in single quick to use, easy to understand, ‘Actions’ panel. This panel provides real time feedback to the operator as the state of the system changes to deter the threat.
• Consolidated Notifications Panel – The previous ‘Notifications’ and ‘Alerts’ panels have been removed and consolidated into a unified ‘Notifications’ panel. The result is a cleaner user experience.
• Mode Selector from Top Bar – With SFAI, the DroneSentry-C2 can be set to run in different modes, Calibration, Monitor and Operational. These modes can now be quickly toggled between any page of the GUI.
• Improved Detection Event Detail from Analytics – Analytics now displays all relevant detection information from the ‘Replay Event’ tool just as it was for the live flight.
• Improved Radar Settings – Radar systems will automatically apply masks and filters based on the installation settings selected by the operator. This significantly reduces the amount of manual masking and filtering required.
• Enhanced WebSocket’s API – DroneSentry-C2 now supports a robust WebSocket’s based API where integrators and third-party systems can connect and received Sensor Fused objects, streamed to them in real time.

 

OpenWorks demonstrated it optical sensor SkyTrack is compatible with Robin Radar’s drone detection radar IRIS. Both technologies are already mission-proven in multi-sensor integrated counter-unmanned aerial systems (CUAS) worldwide. This new integration is designed to help government authorities and other end-users access autonomous CUAS capability; without significant investment in multi-sensor system architectures, says OpenWorks.

SkyTrack and IRIS are already deployed in multi-sensor integrated CUAS systems worldwide. IRIS® provides long-range 3D radar detection and classification using advanced micro-doppler technology enhanced with AI. SkyTrack provides mid-range, fully autonomous optical classification and tracking; using embedded twin-AI with EO/IR sensors.

The testing in the Netherlands proves that high-performance sensors can be connected to provide a low false-alarm-rate system with minimal or no operator input using a simple user interface (UI) provided with SkyTrack.

IRIS® connects to SkyTrack via free software called LinkUI, provided by OpenWorks. LinkUI intuitively connects the sensors, allowing minimal operator engagement for simple operation and control.

LinkUI provides a lightweight sensor combination for end users and customers that do not need the capability and scale of complete command-and-control systems offered by prime systems integrators.

OpenWorks and Robin will continue testing these compatible sensors against other targets and at greater ranges in the coming months and will provide demonstrations of the system’s capability throughout Europe.

 

UAVOS launches new AI software for automated object recognition and tracking. Unmanned systems developer UAVOS has created and integrated into its autonomous systems video processing and computer vision algorithms for automatic recognition and tracking objects. The technology is specifically geared towards the security industry with vision and recognition AI algorithms, autonomous labelling, and model training of a tracking algorithm which is based on a neural network, says the press release.

The AI algorithms work through training a tracking algoritym based on a neural network to learn the features of objects and their movements within a video sequence. The software has already successfully been integrated into Uavos’ pan-tilt platform for real-time long-range observation as well as advanced border protection, airports and other public facilities.

The system will use electro-optical (EO), light detection, and brain-inspired technologies to automatically recognize objects in environments from ground and aerial surveillance. Therefore, advanced computer vision algorithms integrated into Uavos. optoelectronic onboarding unit gyro-stabilized gimbal is used for both object detection and tracking to monitor the earth’s surface in the field of environmental protection, control of illegal logging activity, volcanic activity, etc.

 

Singaporean company TRD unveiled its new Orion-Ship system at IMDEX 2023.

Orion-Ship was developed in response to an undisclosed customer’s requirements. It features an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, and a passive radio frequency detector (a radar can also be added, if desired) with a detection range of 3-10 kilometres. Also present is a jammer with a 3-5km range. A directional jammer can defeat an approaching UAV, while an omnidirectional jammer provides 360º protection. The system is controlled by an integrated command-and-control (C2) system, which sends alerts and can also be set to operate automatically. The Orion-Ship connects to a local C2 system, which in turn plugs into the ship’s C2 network. In this way, the system could also integrate ship sensors such as radars and even weapon systems.

 

UAS Denmark International Test Center announced the acquisition of a XENTA surveillance radar from Weibel Scientific to help the airport to detect, track and classify all aircraft in vicinity of the airport, “thus bringing us closer to our ambition of paving the way for a mixed airspace,” according to the centre in a Linkedin post.

“More specifically, the radar will make it possible for us to offer new test services to our clients, including: traffic control (UTM/U-Space), drone radar signatures, verification of tracking/positioning and alternative navigation methods, sense & avoid systems and a counter-UAS capability.

 

According to German news source Soldat und Technik, the German Defence Ministry the Bundeswehr is procuring counter-UAS (C-UAS)  SMASH fire control sights for the G27P.

“The Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the German Armed Forces (BAAINBw) commissioned IEA MIL-OPTICS GmbH, a Baden-Württemberg-based specialist in night vision technology and special equipment for police and military special forces, to manufacture and supply “target assistance systems for the detection and kinetic defense against Class 1 UAS”. This emerges from a BAAINBw report published today on the European procurement platform TED. Class 1 UAS means unmanned aerial systems (drones) below the weight class of 150 kg. According to well-informed circles, it is said to be the SMASH X4 fire control system, which was developed by the Israeli company Smart Shooter specifically for drone defense. IEA MIL-OPTICS GmbH only announced at the end of 2022 that the company had taken over the German sales for the product portfolio of the Israeli manufacturer Smart Shooter, S&T reported.” 

 

Through new partnerships with Echodyne, Squarehead and CommTech (TCI|ECS), Chess Dynamics has added Electronically Steered Array (ESA) 4D radar and advanced acoustic technology to its counter-UAS product portfolio. The C-UAS system is now capable of detecting targets at maximum distance, locating with 4D coordinates, ensuring accurate and stable tracking, and providing precise classification and identification to enable authorised response protocols, according to the company. The full suite of C-UAS technologies for the 0-10km range includes Chess’ new C2 system which provides a simple user interface, Echodyne’s 4D Radar, providing 360° Az x 90° El coverage, Squarehead’s Acoustic Sensor nodes that offer a distributed network of passive detection, R/F D/F technologies, CommTech’s Jammer, and Chess’ latest HD Electro Optical/infra-red EO/IR camera with edge processing, enhanced difficult target tracking and classification.

 

Hidden Level Inc. was selected by the US Department of Defense (DOD) to receive USD10m in funding for the pilot program, Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovating Technologies (APFIT). As a pre-Series B sensor technology and drone defence company, Hidden Level is one of only 11 companies awarded funding by the DoD in 2023. The APFIT pilot program will transition technologies from development into production and accelerate the fielding of those technologies to the warfighter, said the company in a press release. Hidden Level’s technology will provide Tactical Passive Radar for Counter Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) for the U.S. Army.

 

MARSS completed the second Site Acceptance Test (SAT) for its flagship 5-year, $50m multi-site programme – a major milestone in a wider project that will see the company deliver key defence solutions across nine sites.

Once complete, the multi-site security programme will protect a series of nine critical infrastructure sites across the Middle East, all networked into a centralised national command centre.

The security systems installed by MARSS at each of the unique sites will be built around MARSS’s proprietary hybrid intelligence system, NiDAR, a Joint Area Domain Command and Control solution, integrating a range of different sensors and effectors, protecting against manned and unmanned threats, such as UAS, USV and UUVs.

NiDAR fuses artificial intelligence (AI) alongside traditional algorithmic techniques and human driven domain expertise to create a single, intelligent user interface that maximises the performance of individual sensors and effectors.

At its latest site, MARSS will use a combination of multi-domain-layered systems protecting against underwater, surface and air threats. This will include different types of radars, cameras and sonar systems to provide short-to-medium-range protection across the site, and electronic countermeasures. These all integrate into NiDAR, along with legacy base defence systems, providing a single tactical surveillance picture.

MARSS has expanded its Riyadh based operations from just a handful of employees to over 40 project managers, engineers, technicians and support personnel in just three years. MARSS is well placed to deliver and support defence, safety and surveillance programmes such as these across the Middle East.

During the acceptance test, the NiDAR system demonstrated successful detection and tracking of surface and air threats with various radar cross sections, proprietary AI-based classification and successful threat defeat countermeasures. Employing AI into a fully integrated end-to-end solution, MARSS’s systems were able to dramatically reduce the decision cycle to better protect assets against threats at greater ranges, with better performance and lower false alarm rates than ever before.

As a prime contractor, this is one of several programmes of record that MARSS is delivering across the ME region that includes training and through life Integrated Logistic Support.

Forbes added: “We have built a team of experienced professionals and young engineers to transfer knowledge and capability to support the vision of each of our clients across the region. Delivering and supporting operational capability on a 24/7 basis in extreme environments is not without its challenges. However, supported by a world class team of industry partners, MARSS is able to commission some of the most capable base protection systems in the region if not the world.”

 

Poland’s Chopin Airport to implement Advanced Protection Systems’ counter drone solution. The Polish airport authority Polskie Porty Lotnicze (PPL) is to equip Chopin Airport, Warsaw, with an anti-drone system supplied by Polish manufacturer Advanced Protection Systems (APS).

PPL says it has been checking market opportunities for a long time and conducted talks with domestic and foreign suppliers of counter drone solutions. As a result of the analyzes carried out, PPL invited the Polish company Advanced Protection Systems SA (APS) to offer advanced and proven anti-drone systems. The APS system is due to be operational at Chopin Airport in June 2023.

Currently, APS provides solutions for the Polish Armed Forces, including a system called SKYctrl. SKYCtrl performs the detection of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) simultaneously using a 3D MIMO radar, acoustic, vision and radio sensor. The solution enables detection and neutralization of all LSS (Low-Slow-Small) objects, i.e. commercial, professional and industrial drones. The SKYCtrl system operates around the clock and in all weather conditions. APS has customers in Europe (Great Britain, Norway, Estonia, Finland, the Czech Republic, Ukraine), in the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, UAE) and in Asia (South Korea, Singapore, India). The recipients are uniformed services, the army and critical infrastructure managers.

APS anti-drone solutions are designed to be easy to use, assemble or disassemble. The software recognizes whether the approaching object is an airplane, a bird or a drone, and can introduce the object to the so-called white-list, i.e. a list of devices that have permission to fly in a specific zone. The system is equipped with a jammer device for neutralizing an unmanned aerial vehicle.

 

June Developments

 

Laser Anti-Drone Weapon Successfully Tested on French Air-Defense Frigate. From June 12 to 14, aboard the air defense frigate (FDA) Forbin in the Mediterranean Sea, the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), the French Navy and the company CILAS carried out a series of tests of an anti-drone laser weapon designated HELMA-P (High-Energy Laser for Multiple Applications – Power).

Already successfully evaluated on land in 2020 and 2021, the HELMA-P system has now also proven sufficiently effective and accurate to neutralize hostile drones at sea. These tests open the door to continued development of the prototype with a view to its eventual integration into French Navy vessels.

These tests are part of the anti-drone program (LAD) led by the DGA, which provides for the production of a prototype laser weapon from the HELMA-P demonstrator.

Integrating drones into operations is a major evolution in conflict and combat naval in particular. At sea, aerial drones can be used to monitor, disrupt or attack ships and aircraft. The Navy is fully involved in the work to on the fight against drones carried out with the other services and the DGA, with a view to future procurement of such systems.

 

Leonardo presents its Kronos Grand Mobile High Power radar at the 54th edition of the International Paris Air Show. Building on the company’s experience from developing its family of advanced Kronos radars, and then continuously updating these systems based on operational and market needs, Leonardo has developed the Kronos Grand Mobile High Power. The new capability is based on the Kronos Grand Mobile radar, a high-performance multifunctional radar for air and missile surveillance and defence, in land and littoral environments, against all types of threat.

The Kronos Grand Mobile High Power features high-probability detection and precision tracking, even in heavily-cluttered environments. Operators can use it to defend against air and maritime threats including aircraft, Short Tactical Ballistic Missiles, high-speed missiles, low-level UAS, pop-up targets, hovering helicopters, rockets and artillery, as well as vessels and small, stealthy boats. The radar is able to perform counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) functions via its steered antenna.

The more powerful Kronos Grand Mobile High Power is a multifunctional C-band radar designed for air and sea surveillance and defence. The latest evolution of the Kronos family, it is able to deliver greater performance via new high-efficiency GaN (Gallium Nitride) components in its antenna TRMs (Transmit Receive Modules). This state-of-art technology enables a defensive range of over 250 km and an air surveillance range of over 300 km.

With a compact design, the Kronos Grand Mobile High Power is hosted in a standard ISO 20 ft container and is readily transportable.

The radar has been chosen by the Greek Air Force as the integrated air and missile defence system to be used at the NAMFI (NATO Missile Fire Installation), the Alliance’s range on the Isle of Crete. It will ensure high levels of air safety during exercises, contributing to the Coalition Armed Forces’ high-quality training, as well as their testing and validation of systems.

The radar has also been chosen as the surveillance and engagement radar for the Italian version of the latest-generation SAMP/T surface-to-air missile system produced by the Eurosam Consortium (MBDA 66.6% and Thales Group 33.3%).

The Kronos Grand Mobile High Power is the latest member of the Kronos radar family, designed for the land and naval domains and available in fixed and mobile versions. It is equipped with multi-function and multi-mission capabilities underpinned by advanced AESA technology (Active Electronically Scanned Array). This technology has been developed in-house by Leonardo, which has its own Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) manufacturing capabilities. Leonardo’s Kronos radars are able to perform multiple radar functions simultaneously, enabling the same radar to perform multiple operational missions.

Both land and naval variants of the Kronos Grand Mobile High Power can perform surveillance, track airborne targets and provide guidance for active and semi-active missiles. Several international customers, including in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and South America, already use Kronos radars as the core sensor in an Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) architecture. More than 40 Kronos radars are in service.

 

Elbit Systems unveils new electronic warfare capability to counter drone threats. Elbit Systems is unveiling a new and unique Electronic Warfare (EW) capability at the Paris Airshow as part of its Unified EW suite. According to the press release, the new capability is provided via the digital Radar Warning Receivers (RWR), one part of Elbit’s proven Airborne self-protection EW suite, and enables drone detection and identification as well as locating Personal Location Beacon (PLB) of ground forces and pilots.

Elbit’s EW suite, operational on hundreds of rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, comprises of EW Controller, Digital Radar Warning Receiver, IR Missile Warning System (MWS), Laser Warning Systems (LWS), Counter Measure Dispenser System (CMDS), DIRCM and Electronic Counter Measure Jammer, operating individually or in concert; to provide maximum platform protection and aircrew survivability against advanced threats.

This new Radar Warning Receiver capability locates drones and classifies them as a threat, and provides an answer to dealing with one of the most increasing threats facing commercial and military aircraft today. The ability to locate and classify drones as a threat is enabled by adding new processing capabilities to the Radar Warning Receiver digital receivers. As part of an overall Electronic Warfare solution, the sensor continues to function as an Radar Warning Receiver sensor in parallel to the new capability, and enhances mission success for helicopters and transport aircraft.

In addition, the Radar Warning Receivers can be configured with another new capability, the ability to detect and geo-locate the Personal Location Beacon of ground forces or pilots located on the ground. This capability means that any platform with an Radar Warning Receiver can perform this task, which saves time and resources that are critical in a search and rescue (SAR) mission.

 

US Marine Corps to add L-MADIS counter drone system to air defense capabilities from 2024. US Marine Corps is due to take delivery of the vehicle-mounted Light-Mobile Air Defense Integrated System (L-MADIS) counter drone system towards the end of 2024, according to a report by Defense News.

“The operational debut of MADIS came in July 2019, when its light version, or L-MADIS, mounted on a variant of the Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle shot down an Iranian drone while deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship Boxer. The mission, which came about a month after Iran downed an expensive U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk, showcased the transportability and effectiveness of the MADIS family of systems,” says the report.

Requested funding of USD200m for fiscal 2024 includes USD130.2m to buy 13 MADIS Increment 1 systems, to be mounted on top of joint light tactical vehicles; USD24.6m to retrofit seven previously procured systems with existing technology; and another USD12.5m for training and logistics. Another USD8m is dedicated to procuring engineering change orders “required to ensure increased lethality against evolving threats,” according to a budget justification document. The document adds that the MADIS Increment 1 Block 2 upgrade, which will start the acquisition process by fall, “will focus on kinetic and non-kinetic capability supporting increased lethality.”

A request for proposals “will be released prior to the end of the current fiscal year for the MADIS Block 2 effort that will be seeking industry solutions to meet a full range of defeat technologies to counter the UAS threat,” Barbara Hamby, a spokeswoman for Program Executive Office Land Systems, told Marine Corps Times in an email.

L-MADIS, which is small enough to be transported in a sling below an H-53 helicopter, also comes as a two-vehicle set. The Mk-1 variant can transmit and receive data from air and ground platforms, while the Mk-2 adds target detection, tracking, and friend-or-foe identification, according to budget documents.

Easily deployable aboard ships, these systems will provide an added layer of defense for Marine expeditionary units at sea, says Defense News.

 

MARSS moved into Canada, as Federal Fleet Services obtains NiDAR Command and Control and counter drone systems for installation on Asterix.

• Federal Fleet Services has purchased MARSS’ multidomain surveillance, Command and Control (C2) and Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) for installation on Combat Support Ship, Asterix, which provides at-sea support services for the Royal Canadian Navy.
• A global leader in hybrid intelligence surveillance, MARSS expands into Canada with the creation of MARSS Canada to offer its systems to and provide local support to the Canadian forces and private sector.
• MARSS’s NiDAR platform, to be installed on CSS Asterix, is being demonstrated on the Davie and Federal Fleet Services stand at the CANSEC exhibition this week.

MARSS and Federal Fleet Services have announced that during Q3 2023, the full NiDAR integrated hybrid intelligence surveillance, C2 and CUAS suite will be installed on Asterix – a Combat Support Ship operated for the Royal Canadian Navy by Federal Fleet Services.

Established in 2005, UK-based defence technology company, MARSS, is already protecting the lives of ms of people with its surveillance platform, NiDAR. The system, powered by MARSS’ proprietary Hybrid Intelligence approach, integrates a suite of sensors to create a highly accurate and rapid means of detecting, classifying and neutralising threats. The multi-dimensional surveillance and CUAS is suited for both land-based and offshore applications.

MARSS’s automated systems are already widely used across Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere. Now, MARSS is delighted to announce the setup of MARSS Canada to offer its products to the Canadian Forces and private sector throughout Canada.

MARSS will offer the installation of its full suite of end-to-end CUAS products, while end-users can also opt to take advantage of MARSS’ ability to fuse with legacy sensors and instrumentation, to bring all data and surveillance-systems into a single tactical picture.

MARSS’ CEO and founder, Johannes Pinl, said, “As threats to civilian and military infrastructure evolve at a rapid pace, particularly from UAS, Canadian users will benefit from the availability of this new breed of surveillance systems.

 

Anduril Industries partnered with Japanese firms to advance APAC presence. Counter-UAS company Anduril Industries,  reports a milestone in its expansion into APAC, announcing the signature of three Memorandums Of Understanding (MOU) with Sumitomo Aero-Systems Corporation, Itochu, and another prominent Japanese trading company.

 

European defence companies conclude successful TALOS laser trials, neutralise agile targets. TALOS (Tactical Advanced Laser Optical System), a major collaborative defence research project launched under the European Commission’s Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR), has successfully closed. The final event took place online on 23 May 2023, with the participation of the members of the consortium, representatives of the European Defence Agency, Ministries of Defence, industry and academia.

The TALOS project aimed to develop a compact design laser able to quickly and precisely neutralise an agile target (such as Rocket Artillery and Mortar – RAM, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – UAV), while significantly minimising collateral damage.

According to the press release, the TALOS project achieved its objectives and developed a compact laser technology for neutralisation of agile targets, while significantly minimising collateral damage. The main results obtained addressed the following areas: CONOPS (Concept of Operations), target vulnerability, laser developments at 2 μm, laser combining technology, ethics and safety, roadmap for European LDEW (Laser Directed Energy Weapon) systems.

The project implementation culminated in the development of two demonstrators: a high power amplifier at eye-safer wavelength and an innovative propagation demonstrator allowing highly efficient coherent combining on target. The results of the project will contribute significantly to enhancing EU Member States’ defence capabilities in critical laser effector technologies.

TALOS brings together 16 beneficiaries from 9 European countries. Led by CILAS (France), it also includes TNO (Netherlands), Leonardo (Italy), DLR, Airbus Defence and Space, Stelar (Germany), MBDA France, Erdyn Consultants, Université de Limoges, ONERA (France), Ustav Fotoniky a Elektroniky (Czech Republic), Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna, AMS Technologies (Poland), QinetiQ (UK), John Cockerill Defense (Belgium) and AERTEC Solutions (Spain). For more information visit: www.eda.europa.eu

 

SMARTSHOOTER to present its SMASH Hopper LRCWS integrated with RPS-42 MHR Radar at MDM.

Ideal against sUAS, the joint solution has recently completed several successful trials and demonstrations

SMARTSHOOTER, a world-class designer, developer, and manufacturer of innovative fire control systems that significantly increase accuracy, lethality, and situational awareness while reducing collateral damage, will participate at the Modern Day Marine event, and showcase its SMASH 2000L already deployed by the Marine Corps, and the Hopper Light Remotely Controlled Weapon Station integrated with the DRS RADA Technologies MHR radar.

The SMASH 2000L is a lightweight rifle mounted Fire Control optic that provides the user with unprecedented accuracy against ground and aerial targets.  The system is currently deployed by the Marines for C-UAS operations.  The Hopper is a Light weight Remotely Controlled Weapon Station (LRCWS) that uses the same Fire Control technology as the 2000L but can be mounted as a system on different manned and unmanned platforms providing pin-point accurate lethal capability from a safe stand-off distance. The DRS MHR  Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (MHR) is ground-based, multi-mission radar already used by the Marines for Counter-UAS, Very Short-Range Air Defense (VSHORAD), Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM), and Hemispheric Surveillance operational missions.

When integrated together, the SMASH Hopper LRCWS and DRS MHR radar will provide an “end-to-end” solution for defeating drones and shorten the sensor-to-shooter cycle. The RPS-42’s long-range detection and tracking capabilities allow the SMASH Hopper LRCWS to engage targets at a safe standoff distance. At the same time, the SMASH Hopper LRCWS’s high hit probability promises precise, swift, safe, and simple hard-kill elimination of the threat.

The joint solution has already completed several successful trials and demonstrations and is ideal for use by US marine corps on the MADIS system.

Michal Mor, SMARTSHOOTER CEO: “The integration of our Hopper with the RPS-42 radar provides a very effective end-to-end solution to neutralize drones swiftly, ensuring the protection of personnel and critical assets. Shortening the sensor-to-shooter cycle, this advanced solution enhances the force’s situational awareness and survivability and takes air defense to a new level “.

Deployed and combat-proven by different forces worldwide, including the US Marine Corps, SMASH is a weapon Fire Control System (FCS) equipped with an onboard computer to perform complex targeting solutions. Once the user identifies the target (independently or using the detection system guidance) and locks on it, SMASH tracks its movements and synchronizes the shot release to ensure a fast and precise hit on the target.

The SMASH Family of fire control systems uses AI, computer vision, and advanced algorithms to ensure precise hit capabilities, enhance forces’ situational awareness and lethality, and reduce collateral damage. It enables the platoon to be smart, precise, and connected.

 

Thales and Robin Radar announce multi-year global framework agreement. At a signing ceremony at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, Robin Radar Systems and Thales formalised a multi-year Global Framework Agreement (GFA) between both parties, for the delivery of IRIS drone detection radars.

Under the agreement, Thales and Robin Radar Systems established purchase and supply conditions between both parties. This will enable the global roll out of Thales Counter-UAS solutions, with the inclusion of Robin Radar’s IRIS drone detection radar in projects worldwide.

As a radar detection technology leader, Robin Radar Systems was selected by Thales for its significant breakthroughs in the area of micro-Doppler radar; enabling easy identification of micro and mini drones, and most importantly, distinguishing them from birds; a technology critical to the success of advanced Counter-UAS systems.

The first application of the GFA is to support the EUR350 million PARADE programme, which was announced in 2022. The consortium, led by Thales and CS Group, was officially notified of the programme by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA).

The drone countermeasure systems will be deployed during large sporting events.

 

USMC to add L-MADIS counter drone system to air defense capabilities from 2024. US Marine Corps is due to take delivery of the vehicle-mounted Light-Mobile Air Defense Integrated System (L-MADIS) counter drone system towards the end of 2024, according to a report by Defense News.

“The operational debut of MADIS came in July 2019, when its light version, or L-MADIS, mounted on a variant of the Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle shot down an Iranian drone while deployed aboard the amphibious assault ship Boxer. The mission, which came about a month after Iran downed an expensive U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk, showcased the transportability and effectiveness of the MADIS family of systems,” says the report.

Requested funding of USD200m for fiscal 2024 includes USD130.2m to buy 13 MADIS Increment 1 systems, to be mounted on top of joint light tactical vehicles; USD24.6m to retrofit seven previously procured systems with existing technology; and another USD12.5m for training and logistics. Another USD8m is dedicated to procuring engineering change orders “required to ensure increased lethality against evolving threats,” according to a budget justification document. The document adds that the MADIS Increment 1 Block 2 upgrade, which will start the acquisition process by fall, “will focus on kinetic and non-kinetic capability supporting increased lethality.”

A request for proposals “will be released prior to the end of the current fiscal year for the MADIS Block 2 effort that will be seeking industry solutions to meet a full range of defeat technologies to counter the UAS threat,” Barbara Hamby, a spokeswoman for Program Executive Office Land Systems, told Marine Corps Times in an email.

L-MADIS, which is small enough to be transported in a sling below an H-53 helicopter, also comes as a two-vehicle set. The Mk-1 variant can transmit and receive data from air and ground platforms, while the Mk-2 adds target detection, tracking, and friend-or-foe identification, according to budget documents.

Easily deployable aboard ships, these systems will provide an added layer of defense for Marine expeditionary units at sea. (Source: Defense News)

 

Elbit Systems unveils new electronic warfare capability to counter drone threats. Elbit Systems is unveiling a new and unique Electronic Warfare (EW) capability at the Paris Airshow as part of its Unified EW suite. According to the press release, the new capability is provided via the digital Radar Warning Receivers (RWR), one part of Elbit’s proven Airborne self-protection EW suite, and enables drone detection and identification as well as locating Personal Location Beacon (PLB) of ground forces and pilots.

Elbit’s EW suite, operational on hundreds of rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, comprises of EW Controller, Digital Radar Warning Receiver, IR Missile Warning System (MWS), Laser Warning Systems (LWS), Counter Measure Dispenser System (CMDS), DIRCM and Electronic Counter Measure Jammer, operating individually or in concert; to provide maximum platform protection and aircrew survivability against advanced threats.

This new Radar Warning Receiver capability locates drones and classifies them as a threat, and provides an answer to dealing with one of the most increasing threats facing commercial and military aircraft today. The ability to locate and classify drones as a threat is enabled by adding new processing capabilities to the Radar Warning Receiver digital receivers. As part of an overall Electronic Warfare solution, the sensor continues to function as an Radar Warning Receiver sensor in parallel to the new capability, and enhances mission success for helicopters and transport aircraft. In addition, the Radar Warning Receivers can be configured with another new capability, the ability to detect and geo-locate the Personal Location Beacon of ground forces or pilots located on the ground. This capability means that any platform with an Radar Warning Receiver can perform this task, which saves time and resources that are critical in a search and rescue (SAR) mission.

 

British Army to Get New C-UAS Capability. The British Army’s close combat soldiers will soon receive a cutting-edge weapon sight that will give them a tactical advantage countering uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). The SmartShooter SMASH Smart Weapon Sight Fire Control System will give dismounted soldiers the ability to achieve a high probability of a hit against micro and mini UAVs.

The capability is able to recognise a target, track its movements, and maintain a lock on the target even if it or the user moves.

This Counter-Small Uncrewed Air Systems (C-sUAS) capability will initially be fitted to the SA80 A3 assault rifle and can also be fitted onto other in-service individual weapons.

An initial £4.6 million order for SMASH sights has been agreed under the new five-year Framework Agreement, worth up to £20 million for delivery to Operational readiness units across the Dismounted Close Combat (DCC) community by the end of this year.

The contract with the Small to Medium Enterprise Yorkshire-based Viking Arms Ltd will allow further sights to be delivered over the next few years to dismounted close combat operators across the Army, Navy and RAF, based on operational and readiness commitments. This work contributes to sustaining the company workforce – supporting the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.

DE&S Dismounted Close Combat Portfolio Leader, Col Paul Cummings, said: “It’s great to see the way in which the team has reacted to tackling this emerging threat, through trials and testing, achieving contract award in short time.  Delivering this capability into the hands of the User by the end of this year demonstrates the commitment within DCC to keeping the User equipped for current and future tasks.

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said: “The importance of uncrewed aerial vehicles on the modern battlefield is undeniable. Alongside procuring, developing and deploying this technology in a range of different ways, we must also be proactive in ensuring our Armed Forces can protect against their use by adversaries.

“Adding this capability to our core equipment programme is another example of us procuring the right kit, at the right time for our personnel.”

Wing Commander Mark Bowden, CUAS lead for the Army programmes directorate, said: “We are very pleased to announce the arrival of the first dismounted C-sUAS equipment into the Core equipment programme.  SMASH is a proven capability already in service with our allies and partners.  As we have seen in Ukraine and other operational areas the UAS threat is growing significantly and SMASH offers significant enhancement to the Warfighter across all three Services, delivering a tactical edge to the dismounted soldier in the C-sUAS battle.”

Viking Arms Managing Director, Sam MacArthur, said: “We are tremendously proud to have been selected to supply the UK MOD’s C-sUAS Smart Weapon Sight capability. The need for C-sUAS capability is very evident and we feel the SMASH solution is truly game changing. We are honoured to be supporting our British Armed Forces with technology that will provide significant battlefield advantages, whilst the contract builds on our continued success as a trusted supplier within the UK Defence Sector.”

July Developments

 

“Cheap resin adhesive can protect drones/missiles from laser air defences” – South China Morning Post.

Scientists in China who have been experimenting with materials to protect drones and missiles from laser attacks say they have discovered a surprising potential solution – adhesive, according to a report in the South China Morning Post.

“An experiment showed that a common low-cost resin showed promise in protecting such weapons from being damaged by laser weapons, according to the scientists,” said the report. They applied 2.5mm (0.1 inch) of coating that was mostly made of boron phenolic resin (BPR), a composite material widely used in hot and high-stress environments. “Samples coated with the material remained intact after being blasted by a weapons-grade laser beam for 15 seconds with a power density of 500 watts per sq cm – far more intense that what is required to destroy an unprotected ballistic “missile.”

To put that into perspective, a three megawatt laser weapon could theoretically intercept an incoming missile with power density on the target of just 300 watts per sq cm, according to scientists.”

According to the news source, BPR is inexpensive: the average price of the resin has dropped to as low as seven yuan (US$1) per kg (2.2 pounds), according to industrial data in China.

For more information: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3223570/could-1-dollar-chinese-adhesive-defeat-bn-dollar-us-laser-weapon?module=lead_hero_story&pgtype=homepage (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

30 Jun 23. Laser Weapon System from Raytheon UK to include Cambridge Pixel technology. Cambridge Pixel has been selected by Raytheon UK to provide a graphical operator interface for their directed energy weapon demonstrator.

Directed energy weapons are a key emerging technology being considered for protection of UK armed forces from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in modern battlefields. In 2021, Raytheon UK was awarded a demonstrator contract to provide a Laser Directed Energy Weapon System (LDEW) for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The LDEW system uses a 3D radar to detect targets which are then presented on the Cambridge Pixel user interface, along with graphics showing the laser effector location and orientation against a map underlay background.

Initial target classification is provided by the radar where possible, with the user then able to refine the classification and threat level using the intuitive user interface, selecting one or more targets to be passed to the laser operator for investigation. The software supports display of the laser subsystem operational status and communications link. It also allows the user to enter an indication of damage to the target.

Andrew Haylett, Principal Engineer at Cambridge Pixel, said, “We have been able to use one of our established security software applications to meet the LDEW-specific requirements, thus reducing cost, timescales and risk for our customer. Full verification has been achieved using our radar simulator to provide realistic target motion as an input to the tactical display.”

 

DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (DroneShield or the Company) is has commenced the release of a major firmware update applied to its global fleet of counterdrone (C-UAS) devices.

The introduction of Remote ID legislation globally has seen drone manufacturers develop proprietary remote identification approaches. Remote ID is designed to broadcast critical information about the aircraft, location data, flight information and pilot details. This technology is becoming increasingly important in the management of the low altitude airspace. DroneShield devices are now capable of detecting a variety of Remote ID signals via the Company’s proprietary DroneLocator technology. These enhancements apply to its man-portable, vehicle/ship and fixed-site products. Most notably DroneLocator can display DJI Remote ID signals previously only available via the DJI AeroScope product.

DroneLocator can display critical information such as:

• Drone location (latitude, longitude & altitude)
• Pilot location (latitude & longitude)
• Drone home location (latitude & longitude)
• Drone serial number (unique identifier)
• Drone speed

 

Thales and Robin Radar announce multi-year global framework agreement. At a signing ceremony at the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, Robin Radar Systems and Thales formalised a multi-year Global Framework Agreement (GFA) between both parties, for the delivery of IRIS drone detection radars.

Under the agreement, Thales and Robin Radar Systems established purchase and supply conditions between both parties. This will enable the global roll out of Thales Counter-UAS solutions, with the inclusion of Robin Radar’s IRIS drone detection radar in projects worldwide.

As a radar detection technology leader, Robin Radar Systems was selected by Thales for its significant breakthroughs in the area of micro-Doppler radar; enabling easy identification of micro and mini drones, and most importantly, distinguishing them from birds; a technology critical to the success of advanced Counter-UAS systems.

The first application of the GFA is to support the EUR350 m PARADE programme, which was announced in 2022. The consortium, led by Thales and CS Group, was officially notified of the programme by the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA). The drone countermeasure systems will be deployed during large sporting events. For more information visit: www.robinradar.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

European defence companies conclude successful TALOS laser trials, neutralise agile targets. TALOS (Tactical Advanced Laser Optical System), a major collaborative defence research project launched under the European Commission’s Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR), has successfully closed. The final event took place online on 23 May 2023, with the participation of the members of the consortium, representatives of the European Defence Agency, Ministries of Defence, industry and academia.

The TALOS project aimed to develop a compact design laser able to quickly and precisely neutralise an agile target (such as Rocket Artillery and Mortar – RAM, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – UAV), while significantly minimising collateral damage.

According to the press release, the TALOS project achieved its objectives and developed a compact laser technology for neutralisation of agile targets, while significantly minimising collateral damage. The main results obtained addressed the following areas: CONOPS (Concept of Operations), target vulnerability, laser developments at 2 μm, laser combining technology, ethics and safety, roadmap for European LDEW (Laser Directed Energy Weapon) systems.

The project implementation culminated in the development of two demonstrators: a high power amplifier at eye-safer wavelength and an innovative propagation demonstrator allowing highly efficient coherent combining on target. The results of the project will contribute significantly to enhancing EU Member States’ defence capabilities in critical laser effector technologies.

TALOS brings together 16 beneficiaries from 9 European countries. Led by CILAS (France), it also includes TNO (Netherlands), Leonardo (Italy), DLR, Airbus Defence and Space, Stelar (Germany), MBDA France, Erdyn Consultants, Université de Limoges, ONERA (France), Ustav Fotoniky a Elektroniky (Czech Republic), Wojskowa Akademia Techniczna, AMS Technologies (Poland), QinetiQ (UK), John Cockerill Defense (Belgium) and AERTEC Solutions (Spain). For more information visit: www.eda.europa.eu

 

US Army takes out one-way attack drones in desert demonstration.

To address the challenging threat of one-way attack drones seen most prominently in Ukraine over the past year, the Pentagon’s Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office tackled how to defeat them in a June demonstration at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

The JCO, together with the U.S. Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, chose five companies to demonstrate capabilities that could defeat one-way attack drones, which are typically Group 3 sized unmanned aircraft systems that are preprogrammed to fly without control of an operator once launched, which “creates an additional challenge for countering them,” Col. Mike Parent, the JCO’s acquisition and resources division chief, told reporters on July 13.

The U.S. Army defines Group 3 UAS as featuring a maximum gross takeoff weight of less than 1,320 pounds.

In Ukraine, Russia has used Iranian one-way attack drones on Ukrainian forces, highlighting an urgent need to counter this type of threat.

The demonstration featured one high-power microwave system — Lockheed Martin’s Mobile Radio Frequency-Integrated UAS Suppressor (MORFIUS) — and two kinetic capabilities — Thales’ Lightweight Multi-role Missile (LMM) and the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS).

Lockheed’s MORFIUS is a tube-launched, fixed-wing UAS that flies close to the enemy target and defeats it using a HPM pulse.

The LMM is a tripod fired, laser guided missile that defeats threats with an explosive warhead triggered by a proximity fuze when it gets close enough to the target.

Invariant, MSI Defense and SAIC each fired APKWS — a 70mm Hydra rocket with a laser guidance kit and a proximity fuze – using different configurations.

The capabilities were tested at roughly a 4-kilometer range or greater based off of one-way attack drones’ typical ranges observed in theater.

The JCO was established in late 2019 with the Army selected as the military branch to lead the office. It is focused entirely on bringing counter-sUAS capability into the force. The office has now conducted four demonstrations. Two in the spring and fall of 2021, another in the spring of 2022, and the most recent event this summer.

In the first demonstration, the office looked at low-collateral interceptors for C-sUAS; in the second demonstration, it examined cheap, ground-launched and hand-held capabilities, and in the third, HPM was evaluated as well as countering UAS as a service.

The JCO participated in another demonstration earlier this year to evaluate capability to defeat Group 3, one-way attack UAS at shorter ranges – just 2 kilometers – with the goal of finding candidate systems that could be rapidly delivered within 30 to 90 days of contract award. While the demonstration was open to looking at other capabilities, only kinetic systems were ultimately evaluated there, Parent said.

While Parent would not discuss detailed performance results from the demonstration, he said the plan is to move as quickly as possible to either get prototypes out in the field or into operational assessments to deliver capability. He added there is particular interest among U.S. partners and allies.

The JCO plans to issue a report by the end of the month, he said, that will include suggested solutions along with costs and delivery schedules. “This information is packaged together and provided to our partners and within the DoD,” Parent said, “and then the services and partners can make decisions based on their gaps and needs.”

The office anticipates having additional funding in fiscal 2024 to proceed in a prototyping effort for a capability to defeat one-way attack drones as well.

Initial observations from the demo are showing that the capabilities are “readily available at this time to be prototyped and operationally assessed,” Parent said, however, he added, “some might need additional work and more to follow once information fully comes out with the report.”

For instance, the HPM capability is able to defeat UAS, but there is a particular challenge using the technology to defeat longer range Group 3 one-way attack drones, Parent explained, and more work to refine addressing the range challenge is likely required.

The JCO would not share what capability gaps it plans to address in its next demonstration planned for June 2024, but Parent said the office plans to release a request for white papers in August and will make selections of participants in the late October, early November timeframe.

 

Spain’s TRC launches updated Cervus III C-UAS, plans army field tests Spain’s TRC has announced the launched of its updated Cervus III civil and military counter-UAS system.

“After a year of development, last week TRC made available to the Army, through the Electronic Warfare Regiment No. 31 (Rew31) , the new version of the CERVUS III anti-drone system , for field tests,” said a company press release.

“On this occasion, it is not a simple evolution of the platform, but a total renovation. A new Cervus. First of all, because it includes a command and control system that integrates with all the sensors under a single graphical interface (GUI) that allows the management of all the system’s functionalities.

“Secondly, it should be noted that the new platform integrates radio frequency capture devices designed and developed by TRC to broaden the radio spectrum analysed, and a high performance electro-optical device developed by E&M. In this way, by using the artificial vision algorithms developed by TRC, integrated with the E&M sensor, it is possible to autonomously identify the presence of drones and geo-position them based on the artificial intelligence models and algorithms included in the new platform and trained together with the REW31.

“Additionally, the platform allows the integration of radars to extend the reach of the system and improve the precision in the positioning of threats.

In this new version of the platform, fully developed by TRC and thanks to the collaboration of E&M and REW31, the system has been able to automatically detect and identify possible threats without the need for the operator to have knowledge of radio frequency , which that simplifies the management of the system and facilitates the massive deployment of the solution.”

For more information: https://www.grupotrc.com/TRCNoticias-241-TRC-renueva-por-completo-el-anti-dron-espanol.aspx

 

HYUNDAI WIA “successfully trials non-lethal air burst C-UAS munition technology.” HYUNDAI WIA reports it has successfully conducted trials of its new counter -UAS system which features the use of non-lethal air burst munitions.

“HYUNDAI WIA conducted the shooting test focusing on the hard kill function,” said the company in a press release. “It demonstrated the use of optics mechanisms to identify, track, and shoot down drones detected from a distance. HYUNDAI WIA did not only shoot down drones that were captured using the soft kill method but also successfully shot down a free maneuvering drone that failed to be caught using the soft kill method.

“HYUNDAI WIA developed its anti drone system (ADS) to neutralize enemy drones in any given situation. It uses radar for long-range detection and optics mechanisms to clearly identify and track the drones. HYUNDAI WIA also developed a hard-kill method to take down drones in situations where soft-kill methods can hardly be applied. Such challenging situations and events include jamming, spoofing, which is to take control of the drone, and electromagnetic pulse (EMP). Drones can be shot down by using the Remote Control Weapon System (RCWS) and ABM that the military has already been operating.

“HYUNDAI WIA has also developed the ADS to work with 40mm Non-lethal Air Burst Munition (Streamers), which can minimize damage to civilians. Streamers contain dozens of plastic straps, which explode upon interception and bring down the drone by winding plastic straps around to rotor. In the future, HYUNDAI WIA plans to use 40mm Lethal Air Burst Munition (Steel Balls) to counter fixed-wing drones.

“HYUNDAI WIA is also developing a vehicle-type ADS to shoot down fast-moving drones in a timely manner. HYUNDAI WIA plans to unveil the vehicle-type ADS at Seoul ADEX 2023, the largest defense business exhibition, held at the Seoul Aiport in October.”

For more information: https://en.hyundai-wia.com/investment/news_view.asp?keyIdx=4965&keyField=&keyWord=&gubun=EN&flag=NEWS&keyCate=&page=1 (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

Private equity firm Artemis buys C-UAS company SightLine. Boston-based private equity firm Artemis has announced the acquisition of SightLine Applications, a developer of image processing electronics and software products that enable Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) missions across complex domains. According to a company press release: “For over 15 years, SightLine has delivered field-proven, on-board, AI/ML-enabled video processing solutions optimized for missions performed at the tactical edge. With ms operating hours and more than 35,000 license installations, SightLine has built a reputation as a trusted expert partner to its OEM, Prime Integrator and Government customer base by offering a compelling value proposition of highly configurable and interoperable products combined with deep application engineering expertise across a range of gimbal, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) electro-optical platforms.”

Under Artemis’ ownership, SightLine will continue to operate as an independent company from its facilities in Portland, and Hood River, Oregon with customers across the globe. For more information: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artemis-announces-acquisition-of-sightline-applications-301871221.html (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

MyDefence introduces wearable direction finding mode to wingman counter drone equipment. MyDefence has introduced new wearable detection equipment called DIRECTION FINDING, designed to update the company’s existing wingman with direction finding mode. Features include:

• No Accessories
• Only Firmware Upgrade Required
• Visual, Audio and Haptic Feedback
• Easy to use, minimal operator training
• The equipment will be available in Q3/2023

For more information visit: www.mydefence.dk

(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

US defence department tests MITRE-developed counter drone phone app CARPE Dronvm. US Army Central’s Task Force 39, the team dedicated to developing innovative ideas throughout USARCENT, facilitated a test of CARPE Dronvm at McEntire Joint National Guard Base and Poinsett Range on July 18, 2023.

CARPE Dronvm is a DoD funded application developed by MITRE Corporation that uses crowd-sourced information to detect unmanned ariel systems, or UAS. This test used a version of the application on cell phones to detect a UAS. Maj. Travis Valley, the Task Force 39 operations officer, said the potential for crowd-sourced UAS detection increases force protection capabilities.

“The CARPE Dronvm experiment, or proof of principle, was a huge success for ARCENT,” said Valley. “This was the largest experiment ARCENT has conducted to date. We expanded the experiment footprint, covering 50 kilometers, with multiple individuals in the area using the CARPE Dronvm app. This was all to prove the CARPE Dronvm app works. It did, in fact it exceeded my expectations on the simplicity of use and the program’s drone detection ability. This has the potential as a Force Protection multiplier, adding another tool to help protect Soldiers in a deployed environment.”

During the test, Soldiers used government provided cellular devices to test the functionality and capability of the application by capturing images of a UAS. The UAS used in the test flew from McEntire JNGB to Poinsett Range to provide the maximum amount of testing space available.

CARPE Dronvm is the result of a US Air Forces Central initiative to develop systems to detect UAS. US Army Central is testing the ability to operate this application at the soldier level.

“Countering the drone threat in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility is essential to keeping our personnel, aircraft, and equipment safe,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Steven Norris, AFCENT counter-UAS cell chief. “Our MITRE partners have been helping make CARPE Dronvm a reality since 2019. Every single warfighter can help sense and warn, creating a comprehensive layered defense that will tie into our existing command and control architecture and increase awareness of threats in the region.”

“The UAS threat is a shared security challenge for the U.S. and our regional partners,” said Frank. “To combat this threat, CENTCOM and USARCENT will test and field counter-UAS systems. The advanced measures we intend to pursue regarding innovation and experimentation will provide critical, real-time data to inform Army and Defense decisions on counter-UAS technologies.”

United States Army Central is the US Army Service Component Command for United States Central Command and is responsible to the Secretary of the Army for the support and administration of more than 12,000 Soldiers, including those assigned to joint task forces and embassies, across the 21 countries in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility.

For more information visit: www.dvidshub.net (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

Robin Radar collaborates with Marduk Technologies to combine C-UAS detection solutions. During a successful joint performance demonstration event to in Vredepeel, Netherlands, Robin Radar Systems and Marduk Technologies collaborated to finalise the integration of their drone detection radar and electro-optical sensors, IRIS and Marduk Shark, says the press release.

Marduk Shark and IRIS are deployed in modular, multi-sensor integrated CUAS solutions across the globe. IRIS provides long-range radar detection and classification in 3D using advanced micro-doppler technology enhanced with deep learning. Marduk Shark is an electro-optical C-UAS precision targeting platform with a gimbal speed of up to 270 degrees per second. The system is designed to detect, recognize and target a variety of fast-moving small and medium-sized unmanned air systems.

This integration of two compatible sensors demonstrates the advantage of multi-layered protection when the synergy between sensors compliments each other, resulting in a low false-alarm rate for end-users. The collaboration is designed to increase the range of optical detection and tracking and advanced precision in holding the track on a moving drone, as well as visual verification of the drone payload.

For more information visit: www.robinradar.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

Singapore to install 50 AeroSentry Zero remote ID sensors to detect and monitor drone movements. Drone Defence is working with Metropolitan Wireless International (MWI) in Singapore to deploy fifty AeroSentry Zero remote-ID sensors over a 24-month implementation programme. Drone Defence is responsible for the technical viability of a wide-area sensor network, to effectively detect, identify, and monitor conspicuous drone and their flight behaviours.

According to the Drone Defence press release, the pilot phase will involve the installation of 3 drone detection sensors being deployed at a number of trial sites. Following on from this, phase 1 will see several sensors deployed across the Southern region, phase 2 focusing on the Northern region and finally, phase 3 covering the Central region of Singapore.

Richard Gill, Drone Defence CEO and founder said: “We’re excited to be taking part in this project in Singapore. The installation of the AeroSentry Zero sensor network is extensive and will provide full coverage of the 720 sq. km city-state, to ensure all conspicuous drones are identified and visible via AeroTracker.“ He continues: “This remote-ID network will also provide visibility for Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management (UTM) systems, offering data and analytics into Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flight paths, trends and areas to avoid for flight corridors.”

This ground-based infrastructure approach will also be combined with Drone Defence’s cloud-based Airspace Monitoring System (AMS), AeroTracker. The system provides a user-friendly, online interface, displaying conspicuous drones and their locations, detected by deployed remote-ID sensors.

Drone Defence’s AeroPing will also be used in conjunction with this project. The FAA approved real-time drone transponder will be used to ensure accuracy of the remote-ID sensors.

This project will also allow other individuals and organisations to make use of the sensor remote-ID network.

As well as feeding the sensor data to AeroTracker, the network will also be made available via API, providing the option to integrate the same data points into an existing system. Services such as FoodPanda and their PANDAFLY service, may then utilise this data for their inter-island food drone deliveries, which is currently under trial. The project is set for completion at the end of 2024. For more information visit: www.dronedefence.co.uk (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)

 

High Lander collaborates with Robotican to test new rapid response system. Robotican, a company based in southern Israel, plans to provide its Goshawk drones as first responders to police, ambulance, and fire services throughout Israel. In order to integrate the Goshawk safely into civil airspace, Robotican is collaborating with High Lander to benefit from the company’s Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM) system Universal UTM.

According to the press release, the Goshawks will receive flight plan approvals and adjustments, real-time flight monitoring and in-flight conflict warnings, as well as prioritizing first response drones over other drones, in the same way that first-response road units receive right of way of the road. Together, the systems could provide a nationwide network of first response drones that operate as a harmonious part of the civilian airspace.

Robotican reports completion of the first stage of integration with the conclusion of successful simulated flights.

Originally designed as a drone interceptor, the Goshawk can launch in less than 10 seconds and reach speeds of 110 kph. Unaffected by ground obstacles, the Goshawk will get to scenes first and provide first responders with information via its high-quality camera. This means that ground teams will be able to assess situations before arrival and be better prepared to take immediate action – for example, how to best put out a fire, or what medical care is needed. In the case of crime scenes, the drone will establish presence, which can deter criminal behaviour and prevent damage to property and harm to officers. For more information visit: www.highlander.io

 

(Sources: C4ISR & Networks ; Armada; airforce-technology.com; Flight Global; AMR; Emirates News Agency, Middle East AI News ; www.unmannedairspace.info; BUSINESS WIRE; PR Newswire ; UAS VISION/ Defense News Early Bird/https://www.thedefensepost.com/ C4ISR & Networks)