Drones are an asymmetric threat - cheap, ubiquitous, and easy to use, but expensive and hard to defend against.
The military is spending a lot of money and investing a lot of energy to defend against low-cost drones that can be bought at your local Costco.
Here are some quick stories in reverse time order.
New Counter Drone Strategy Hits Esper’s Desk
2020-10-15
The new strategy and a joint requirements document to guide service investment was signed on Sept. 28 … The strategy is expected to be released early next month.
The [Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aerial Systems Office] JCO, in tandem with the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO), will hold an “industry open house” on the requirements Oct. 30
The new counter-drone strategy will be implemented during the 2023 and 2027 budget cycle
The JCO serves as the Pentagon’s Counter Small Unmanned Aerial System (C-sUAS) Executive Agent (EA). The EA is charged with finding joint solutions to the threat caused by small drones, and to ensure that the services don’t duplicate each other’s efforts.
Air Force tests new anti-drone technology with MEDUSA network
2020-09-23
The Air Force has tested the ability of new sensor and missile technology to thwart a fleet of small unmanned aerial systems while integrated with an emerging command-and-control network at the large-scale Apollyon exercise last month
The 96th Test Wing evaluated over 20 anti-drone systems
These weapons were integrated with the Air Force's Multi-Environmental Domain Unmanned Systems Application -- a new network designed to perform counter-UAS C2 operations. The Army -- which is overseeing the Pentagon's efforts to come up with technology that can defeat drones -- intends to include MEDUSA among its capability choices once the network is interoperable with the Forward Area Air Defense C2 system.
US Air Force issues $90M contract for counter-drone systems and support
2020-08-25
SRC Inc. has won a $90 million contract to support the U.S. Air Force’s counter-small unmanned aerial system efforts
SRC will also provide sustainment for its products within the Multi-Environmental Domain Unmanned Systems Application. MEDUSA is a command-and-control system that ties together multiple C-sUAS and related components to detect and take down small drones.
The comprehensive MEDUSA program was first installed at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates
SRC is the company behind the Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System [FS-LIDS], one of eight interim C-sUAS approved by the U.S. Army’s Joint C-sUAS Office for investment and deployment
Army buys $189M counter drone system but already has plans to replace it
2020-08-13
On July 20, the Army announced it was awarding DRS Sustainment Systems $190 million to develop, produce and deploy the Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS). While the system will be deployed, it doesn’t have a long-term future with the military.
M-LIDS would likely be replaced by the Light-Mobile Air Defense Integrated System (L-MADIS), a C-sUAS developed by the U.S. Marine Corps and the only mobile solution approved by the Joint C-sUAS Office.
Army announces selection of interim C-sUAS systems
2020-06-25
The following systems provided the best performance and capability mix during the assessment and represent the Department’s interim C-sUAS capability.
1) Fixed/Semi-Fixed Systems: [FS-LIDS, NINJA, CORIAN]
2) Mounted/Mobile System: [L-MADIS]
3) Dismounted/Handheld Systems: [Bal Chatri, Drone Buster, Smart Shooter]
4) Command and Control: [FAAD-C2 with MEDUSA]