LAD & C-UAS

Citadel Defense has expanded its intelligence and counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (cUAS) offering with a suite of new technology under the Titan brand of cUAS solutions.

The Titan Drone Finder (DF), Titan Tactical Assault Kit (TAK), and Titan Multi-Sensor (MS) are designed to keep the U.S. military ahead of the threat curve through industry-leading autonomy, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML).

Citadel’s open software architecture supports quick integration into other command and control platforms. Using a custom Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) software plugin, the Titan system can be autonomously monitored and controlled from anywhere in the world.

The Titan Drone Finder system geolocates the pilot and drone and tracks patterns of UAS activity important for mission planning. The Titan Multi-Sensor solution integrates radar, optics, and advanced AI analytics to deliver comprehensive and affordable force protection.

Christopher Williams, CEO of Citadel Defense explained, “Our autonomous systems quickly and accurately detect, identify, track, and defeat threats without impacting legitimate UAS operations. This preserves freedom of action for friendly forces and security teams.

“Countering the small UAS threat is a joint team effort. We are fortunate to work with the industry’s leading technology companies to deliver the most advanced solutions for any mission set.”

Citadel provides low Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWAP-C) solutions that have been operationally validated across fixed, mobile, and dismounted missions. The Titan family of cUAS solutions provides additional options for Forces across all cUAS capability domains.

By Paolo Valpolini “Thousands of drone incidents happen at world level every year,” Lucas Le Bell, the CEO of Cerbair,

Numerica Corporation has been selected by Liteye Systems to be a strategic partner in the development of the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office’s (RCCTO) new Counter small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) High Energy Laser (HEL) program.

As part of an accelerated effort to demonstrate C-sUAS HEL capability in FY22, Numerica will deliver its Spyglass radar and MIMIR C2 software as integral components of Liteye’s SHIELD system.

SHIELD is the latest generation of C-sUAS technology from Liteye, and will provide detection, tracking and identification of Group 1 and 2 UAS for the prototype HEL weapon system.

With its unique Ku-band phased array and radar data processing technology, Spyglass enables high precision detection and tracking of small UAS in a compact form factor. The MIMIR C2 software enables intelligent integration of the radar with other sensors and systems to provide a high-performance, self-contained, command and control capability that maintains mission performance even in degraded environments.

The RCCTO-led program will demonstrate C-sUAS HEL prototype weapons systems for defense of dismounted, maneuver and fixed/semi-fixed sites that will be operated at the brigade level. The plan is to integrate these prototype systems with Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAADC2) to provide a holistic ‘Any Sensor, Right Shooter’ concept to counter Group 1 and 2 UAS. The demonstrations will address a range of combat environments and allow the incorporation of soldier touchpoints through the program.
“Our team is really excited to have the opportunity to help accelerate the development of C-sUAS HEL prototype systems with our Spyglass radar,” said Nate Knight, vice president of air and missile defense at Numerica. “We developed Spyglass for exactly this kind of application, and we are looking forward to next year’s demonstrations with RCCTO, Liteye and the other program partners to bring this capability into the hands of the U.S. warfighter.”

Citadel Defense has expanded its intelligence and counter-unmanned aircraft systems offering with a suite of a suite of new solutions under the Titan brand.

The Titan family of CUAS solutions are designed to keep the U.S. military ahead of the threat curve through industry-leading autonomy, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Citadel provides low size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C) solutions that have been operationally validated across fixed, mobile, and dismounted missions. Best known for their full spectrum Titan system, the company has launched new solutions including Titan Drone Finder (DF), Titan Tactical Assault Kit (TAK), and Titan Multi-Sensor (MS) to address emerging requirements.

Christopher Williams, CEO of Citadel Defense explained,

“Our autonomous systems quickly and accurately detect, identify, track, and defeat threats without impacting legitimate UAS operations. This preserves freedom of action for friendly forces and security teams.”

Citadel’s open software architecture supports quick integration into other command and control platforms. Using a custom ATAK software plugin, the Titan system can be autonomously monitored and controlled from anywhere in the world. The Titan Drone Finder system geolocates the pilot and drone and tracks patterns of UAS activity important for mission planning. The Titan Multi-Sensor solution integrates radar, optics, and advanced AI analytics to deliver comprehensive and affordable force protection.

“Countering the small UAS threat is a joint team effort. We are fortunate to work with the industry’s leading technology companies to deliver the most advanced solutions for any mission set,” said Williams.

The Titan family of CUAS solutions provides additional options for Forces across all CUAS capability domains. Citadel Defense continues to sell their products to the military, intelligence agencies, and homeland markets.

Source: Press Release

A multi-layer counter-UAS system called 'The Robot' uses a combination of radar, RF detection, EO/IR and jamming for protection of bases and vessels.

Israel-based company Skylock, part of the AVNON group, displayed its counter-UAS short-range solution, known as 'The Robot', at the AUSA event in Washington DC on 11-13 October.

A company representative explained to Shephard that upcoming deliveries, scheduled to be completed before the end of the year, will be to customers in the UAE and undisclosed Eastern European nations.

'The Robot' has already been deployed to protect military facilities, airports, and prisons, and can also be installed aboard vessels. USSOCOM has acquired a portable version of the system.

Represented by Mistral Group in the US, Skylock has a history of sales to several clients such as the Royal Thai Navy, India (for the protection of undisclosed critical infrastructure), the UAE, and an unnamed Latin American nation.

'The Robot' is a complex detection and jamming system with a range of up to 1.5km, consisting of four components.

The first line of defence is a 3D radar, with an RF detection system next permitting identification and classification of suspicious UAS.

This latter element allows for the creation of 'black' and 'white' lists to differentiate friendly from enemy drones, the Skylock representative explained.

Then two 225mm EO/IR cameras, for day and night operations, allow visual verification. The final layer comprises four jammers, with a range of up to 1km, providing 'complete 360-degree coverage', covering both ISM band and GNSS frequencies.

The radar, sensors and jammers are all integrated into a unified C2 system.

Toronto police say that two people are facing charges after arrows were fired at a drone from an apartment balcony on Thursday.

It happened in the area of Dundas Street East and Greenwood Avenue at approximately 9:22 a.m. near the site of where a movie was being filmed.

At that time, police said that a person began shooting arrows at a drone from a balcony which presented a danger to people and film crew below.

A man in the apartment where the arrows were allegedly being fired from barricaded himself inside, police said.

Responding officers said they were able to resolve the situation peacefully.

In an email to CTV News Toronto, police confirm that Michael Jung, 51, and Guymond Jung, 55, were arrested following the incident.

They have both been charged with assault with a weapon, weapons dangerous, and common nuisance.

Both are set to appear in a Toronto courtroom today via video link.

Source: CTV News

INTERPOL and the Norwegian Police have carried out a three-day exercise to evaluate and test drone countermeasures in a secure airspace environment

Held in Oslo from 28 to 30 September, the real-life exercise gathered law enforcement, academia and industry experts from Europe, Israel, and the United States to test and assess 17 drone countermeasures to ensure the safety of an airport environment through the detection, tracking, and identification of drones and their pilots.

These systems are emerging as essential elements in ensuring the security of airports, airspaces and protecting no-fly zones above cities, prisons, and critical infrastructure.

Each countermeasure was assessed and graded against specified criteria. The results will be consolidated to create an INTERPOL Drone Countermeasure Framework which will be available to law enforcement across INTERPOL’s 194 member countries, creating a global focal point for collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

The exercise was held at the Oslo Gardermoen Airport while it was in active operation. Due to the complexity of the exercise, the event required close collaboration with airport owner Avinor, the Norwegian Communications Authority, the Civil Aviation Authority and UAS Norway to ensure that all systems and tests were held to a required standard and did not affect airport operations.

After months of collaborative preparation, the Norwegian Police was responsible for conducting the tests in partnership with INTERPOL, Avinor and The Norwegian Communications Authority.

In addition to the exercises, workshops and presentations to address drone incursions with a view to evidence retention were also held. These sessions saw participants share best practices and discuss possible future solutions for drone incursions.

Although countermeasures can be used to detect, identify, and locate a drone within an area, many countries do not have the legislation which allows authorities to interfere with a drone when it is in flight. This proves a challenge for law enforcement, governments and air space owners, pointing to a clear need to improve understanding of drone threats, as well as guidance and reporting mechanisms.

The INTERPOL Innovation Center is a partner in the European-funded Project Courageous, which focuses on creating a European wide framework for the selection, testing and assessment of drone countermeasures for law enforcement.

Raytheon UK has been awarded a demonstrator contract to provide a High-Energy Laser Weapon System, or HELWS, to the UK Ministry of Defence. Raytheon UK will deliver the MOD’s high-energy laser demonstrator to show the application of directed energy weapons technology to help protect the UK armed forces from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in today’s battlefield.

“High-energy lasers are moving from the laboratory to the field,” said Alex Rose-Parfitt, engineering director, Raytheon UK. “We are partnering with the MOD to accelerate this developing technology and make it available to the UK military. This demonstrator programme will show how the use of high-energy laser weapons could help protect soldiers against UAVs.”

A high-energy laser demonstrator will be installed by the Raytheon UK team on one of the MOD’s Wolfhound land vehicles for a period of comprehensive user experimentation. The experimentation provides an opportunity to see how HELWS could enhance UK capabilities and understanding in high-energy laser weapons, supporting UK’s ambitions to remain an as innovative leader science and technology.

HELWS, a modular counter-UAV system, uses an electro-optical/infrared sensor that prosecutes highly-maneuverable threats with precision and relative ease. The system can be installed on a variety of platforms and has been fielded in several real-world environments; it can also be integrated with many modern air defence systems, offering a robust layered defence capability as needed.

“We are investing £6.6 billion in research and development across Defence over the next four years, reaffirming our commitment to provide the Armed Forces with truly advanced capabilities,” said Minister for Defence Procurement, Jeremy Quin. “Directed Energy Weapons are a key element of our future equipment programmes and we intend to become a world-leader in the research, manufacture and implementation of this next-generation technology.”

As the programme evolves, Raytheon UK will encourage new capabilities and expertise in the UK supply chain and place the country at the forefront of this emerging technology. The Raytheon UK team is collaborating with other British companies on the demonstrator including Frazer Nash, NP Aerospace, and Lumoptica across the UK, to bring high-energy laser technology to the British Army.

The contract is part of a wider framework by the UK Ministry of Defence to sustain strategic advantage through science and technology.

SMi Group has confirmed that United States Department of Defense (US DOD) attendees can attend its upcoming Counter-UAS (unmanned aerial systems) Technology Conference for free. The conference, which will take place from 6 – 7 December 2021 in Arlington, USA, will showcase the latest technology on the market that is designed to keep personnel, equipment, and infrastructure safe from hostile drone threats.

Click here to register and to find out more about the event and agenda

Attendees will get the opportunity to meet and network with international speakers from NATO and aligned nations to discover how they are defending their defence networks from drone attacks.

With the establishment of the US DoD Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office (JCO), there is now a drive across the US Armed Forces to have a comprehensive and centralised approach to tackling the ever-evolving drone threat facing the nation. With this in mind, there will be a keynote welcoming address on “Developing and Implementing a Force-Wide Framework for Counter-Small UAS Technology” on day one presented by Ms Nicole Thomas, Division Chief for Strategy and Policy, Joint C-sUAS Office, US DoD.

Key speakers at the conference include:

Colonel (Retd) Dave Shank, Former Commandant, Army Air Defense Artillery School, Fort Sill, United States Army
Mr Don Kelley, Project Manager, Ground Based Air Defense (GBAD), PEO Land Systems, USMC
Mr Timothy Bennett, Director, Air Domain Awareness, Science & Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security
Mr DJ Smith, Technical Surveillance Agent, High Tech Crimes Division/Bureau Of Criminal Investigations, Virginia State Police
Colonel (Retd) Dave Shank, Former Commandant, Army Air Defense Artillery School, Fort Sill, United States Army
Mr Larry Friese Jr, Counter-UAS Red Team Specialist, AISC and Former US DoD Engineer, United States Army
Ms. Nicole Thomas, Division Chief for Strategy and Policy, Joint C-sUAS Office, US DoD
Mr Jeffrey Langhout, Director, Aviation & Missile Center, US Army Futures Command
Colonel Loyd Beal, Project Manager, Terrestrial Sensors, PEO IEW&S, United States Army
Colonel Scott Anderson, Project Manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems, PEO Aviation, US Army
Lieutenant Colonel Eric Like, Branch Chief, Cyber Integration & Transition Branch, Information Directorate, US Air Force Research Laboratory
Lieutenant Colonel Clifford M. Piernick, Deputy Director, Defensive Base Operations Division, United States Air Force
Mr Richard Ast, Deputy Director, Unmanned Systems Technology, Platforms and Weapons Technology Office, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E)

Le centre d’expertise des programmes navals (CEPN) de Toulon a démarré plusieurs expérimentations visant à renforcer les capacités de lutte antidrone de la Marine nationale.
Radar sonique

Les équipes de la Marine nationale et plus précisément celles du Centre d'expertise des programmes navals (CEPN) de Toulon testent notamment un radar sonique capable de détecter l’arrivée de ces engins. En parallèle, elle utilise aussi des systèmes de détection fournis par Roboost. Elles ont aussi adapté des briques du systèmes MILAD (moyen interarmées de lutte antidrone) de CS livrés il y a quelques mois. Le service de la logistique de la Marine à Toulon a réalisé de nouveaux supports qui permettent désormais son utilisation pour la protection de la base navale varoise. En outre, le système pourrait être aussi utilisé à bord de navires.
Laser de neutralisation

C’est déjà le cas pour des « unités précieuses » de la Marine, vraisemblablement des sous-marins nucléaires et le porte-avions Charles-de-Gaulle, souvent décrits par cette périphrase (par nature, toute unité de premier rang de la Marine est précieuse). Enfin, le Centre d'expertise des programmes navals va gérer en 2022 l’expérimentation d’un laser de neutralisation de drone à bord d’un navire qui n’est « pas encore choisi » d’après le capitaine de vaisseau Alexis Huberdeau, chef du CEPN. La Marine utilise aussi une arme non létale qui peut être engagée contre les pilotes de drones : un laser vert fourni par la société bretonne.

Numerica Corporation, a supplier of air and missile technologies, has been selected as a strategic partner by Liteye Systems to support the development of the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office’s (RCCTO) new counter small unmanned aircraft systems (C-sUAS) High Energy Laser (HEL) program.

As part of an accelerated effort to demonstrate C-sUAS HEL capability in FY22, Numerica will deliver the SpyglassTM radar and MIMIRTM C2 software as integral components of Liteye’s SHIELDTM system. SHIELD is the latest generation of C-sUAS technology from Liteye and will provide detection, tracking and identification of Group 1 and 2 UAS for the prototype HEL weapon system.

With its unique Ku-band phased array and radar data processing technology, Spyglass enables high precision detection and tracking of small UAS in a compact form factor. The MIMIR C2 software enables intelligent integration of the radar with other sensors and systems to provide a high-performance, self- contained, command and control capability that maintains mission performance even in degraded environments.

“Our team is really excited to have the opportunity to help accelerate the development of C-sUAS HEL prototype systems with our Spyglass radar,” Nate Knight, vice president of air and missile defense at Numerica, said. “We developed Spyglass for exactly this kind of application, and we are looking forward to next year’s demonstrations with RCCTO, Liteye and the other program partners to bring this capability into the hands of the U.S. warfighter.”

The RCCTO-led program will demonstrate C-sUAS HEL prototype weapons systems for defense of dismounted, maneuver and fixed/semi-fixed sites that will be operated at the brigade level. The plan is to integrate these prototype systems with Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAADC2) to provide a holistic “Any Sensor, Right Shooter” concept to counter Group 1 and 2 UAS. The demonstrations will address a range of combat environments and allow the incorporation of soldier touchpoints through the program.

Source: Press Release

Liteye Systems, based in Denver Colorado, has been awarded a $5,500,000, multiple-year contract to integrate its Liteye SHIELD C-sUAS payload in the US Army (RCCTO) HEL prototype effort.

The Army, acting as the Executive Agent for C-sUAS remains focused on the elimination of UAS threats. In a May 2021 Senate Armed Services Hearing, SECARMY, Christine Wormuth said:

“The Army needs to be very attentive to challenges like counter UAS for example….those are absolutely areas that we need to be working on in terms of developing our capabilities and obviously being able to test our capabilities.”

The objective of the C-sUAS HEL prototype effort is to develop, integrate, manufacture, and ultimately test a prototype HEL System(s) in an operationally relevant environment. This contract enables the rapid prototyping of a near- production representative, cost-effective HEL System(s), which will be integrated with current military battle management systems.

Liteye’s SHIELD payload will provide the detection, tracking, and identification of Group 1 & 2 UAS in a range of combat environments which will utilize the new 3D SPYGLASS Radar developed in Colorado with Numerica Corporation. The HEL “hard kill” capability will be provided by a partner company and integrated with Liteye’s SHIELD payload to be tested and demonstrated during operational tests and evaluations. The platform integration of SHIELD will support the US Army’s maneuver capability in the Brigade Combat Teams and will also be compatible with robotic vehicles like Pratt & Miller’s Expeditionary Modular Autonomous Vehicle (EMAV).

“This effort represents more than 15 months of focused effort by our team and renews our strategic partnership with the US Army dating back to 2016 when we sent our first C-sUAS systems downrange,”

said Kenneth Geyer, CEO and Co- Founder of Liteye Systems.

Liteye’s C-sUAS solutions can be layered with multiple effectors and battle management systems to Detect, Track, Identify and Defeat, threats operating in the Air, on the Ground, on the Surface, and in the Electromagnetic Spectrum. These solutions can be configured for customized Mission Platforms; fixed/semi-fixed, light vehicle/man-portable, mobile, and unmanned/uncrewed robotic vehicles. The Liteye services team provides 24/7 reach-back support, training, and system updates to ensure that the systems remain effective against the threats that are continuously increasing in complexity.

“On behalf of the Liteye team, we thank the US Army for their trust in our systems and our team. We also thank our partners Numerica and Pratt & Miller along with a long list of other external stakeholders who played a part in bringing this contract to fruition,” said Geyer.

*Liteye is the exclusive provider of SPYGLASS Radar.

Source: Press Release

The new systems are part of the company’s SkyTracker suite of C-UAS technology.

CACI International has debuted two new technologies as part of its SkyTracker set of counter-uncrewed aircraft system (C-UAS) technology.

CORIAN 2.0 and CORIAN Tactical have been designed to reduce the growing UAS threats.

The systems feature the latest generation of sensors and effectors. SkyTracker technology can identify, track and counter Group 1-5 type UAS threats.

A fixed-site multi-sensor platform, CORIAN 2.0 expands on existing CORIAN technologies with enhanced mechanical design and capability advancements.

The improvements extend the system’s effectiveness, creating an ability for the system to protect from multiple, simultaneous threats from ‘standoff distances’.

It can easily integrate with command and control (C2) systems such as forward area air defence (FAAD) C2.

Meanwhile, CORIAN Tactical system offers both fixed and on-the-move protection from small UAS threats.

The ruggedised system has a customisable and scalable configuration, low size, weight, and power, and precise capabilities.

Multinational aerospace company Thales Group has unveiled its new Ground Observer 20 multi-mission (GO20 MM) radar featuring advanced unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) detection and ground surveillance capabilities.

Equipped with 360-degree, 3D surveillance technology, the single-mode radar will provide the armed forces with protection from threats evolving at low altitude, including enemy microdrones. It will also detect ground combat vehicles and individuals on foot.

In a press release, the defense firm explained that the new equipment will increase military situational awareness, critical to maintaining a tactical advantage on the battlefield. It also pointed out that many countries have begun investing in drones, causing a significant shift in battlefield dominance.

“Thales continues to invest and bring tactical advantage to forces in the field…” director of Land and Air Systems at Thales, Maja Velimirovic, said. “This latest family member adds a new dimension to early drone detection and provides superior support to forces battlefield supremacy.”
‘Recognizing Threats’

Thales revealed that its new GO20 MM radar combines ground and low-level air surveillance in a single surveillance asset. Its speedy rate of update allows early detection and automatic classification of long-range drones that have yet to pose a threat.

The radar is also equipped with a Venus interface solution, allowing operators to immediately recognize the threat, giving them time to formulate the best counter-drone strategy.

The system’s six-cell battery allows for increased surveillance time, increasing protection.

The GO20 MM radar is designed for easy transport and configuration. Two soldiers can perform a setup in five minutes.

La famille de radars tactiques « Ground Observer » de Thales s’est agrandie d’un nouveau membre, le Ground Observer 20 Multi-Mission (GO20 MM). Taillé pour la lutte anti-drones, il est le premier de la gamme à offrir une capacité de surveillance simultanée des menaces terrestres et aériennes, en 3D et à 360°.
Deux capacités dans un seul système

« Les armées sont confrontées à une nouvelle menace très évolutive, les drones. L’importante prolifération et l’évolution constante des capacités des drones, dont les charges utiles, la navigation et la formation d’essaims, accentuent cette menace jour après jour », rappelait Maja Velimirovic, directrice des activités systèmes terrestres et aériens en Allemagne, lors d’un webinaire de présentation du produit.

Le tempo technologique remet régulièrement en question le potentiel de détection des radars, contraignant l’industriel à innover pour conserver une longueur d’avance. « S’appuyant sur l’expérience acquise avec un large éventail de radars de surveillance au sol, notamment la gamme Ground Alerter et Ground Observer, ce nouveau venu ajoute une dimension nouvelle en offrant une capacité de détection avancée des drones et en aidant les forces déployées sur le terrain à maintenir leur suprématie », annonce-t-elle.

Deux caractéristiques différencient le GO20 MM des autres membres de la gamme Ground Observer. Il est le premier à être « multi-mission ». Il est autrement dit conçu pour détecter, poursuivre et classifier simultanément les menaces aériennes évoluant à basse altitude et les menaces terrestres. Le tout en continu, à 360° et avec un seul mode. Le GO20 MM est aussi le premier à opérer en 3D, ajoutant l’altitude aux données d’azimut et de distance et augmentant considérablement le volume de balayage.

Avec ce radar en bande X, l’opérateur sera en mesure de repérer un micro-drone de type DJI Phantom 4 à 4 km, un combattant à pied à 9 km, un véhicule léger à 13 km et un hélicoptère à 15 km, limite de la portée instrumentée. « À cette distance, un drone venant de n’importe quelle direction sera détecté plus rapidement, avant même qu’il ne devienne une menace », explique Arndt Ulbrich, responsable produit GO20 MM. Son antenne rotative offre un taux de rafraichissement de six secondes. Le GO20 MM récupère aussi des briques déjà qualifiées et ayant fait leurs preuves sur d’autres systèmes. Il intègre, par exemple, l’interface homme-machine (IHM) Venus et le double GPS (Pointing and Northing Unit) du GO12.

Ce nouveau radar embarque par ailleurs un algorithme de classification analysant l’effet micro-Doppler de tous les objets détectés, qu’ils soient aériens ou terrestres. « Nous avons combiné deux approches pour le GO20 MM : un outil conventionnel pour les cibles terrestres et un outil de classification intégrant de l’apprentissage profond pour les cibles aériennes », complète Arndt Ulbrich. Cette combinaison permet à l’opérateur de gagner un temps précieux lors des phases de discrimination des objets et de mise en oeuvre des contre-mesures.
Gagner en mobilité sans perdre en autonomie

Le champ d’applications du GO20 MM est vaste : protection d’emprise, d’événements publics, de colonne de véhicule, de bivouac, etc. Une constante relie l’ensemble : la nécessité de gagner en mobilité grâce à système compact et léger mais sans perdre en autonomie.

« Les troupes sur le champ de bataille, en mouvement ou en opération aéromobile vont généralement transporter le GO20 MM par véhicule ou par hélicoptère. (…) Une installation simplifiée est donc essentielle. La compacité autorise une installation simplifiée sur un bâtiment, un container ou un véhicule et ne nécessite aucune infrastructure complexe ni générateur », indiquait Hans-Jochen Soelter, directeur de la stratégie, du marketing et des ventes de la division radars de surface.

Entièrement « ITAR free », le GO20 MM reproduit une approche qui a fait le succès du GO12, adopté par l’armée de Terre dans le cadre du programme MURIN. Thales n’a ainsi pas retenu l’option du générateur, préférant à nouveau s’orienter vers « un système radar silencieux et facile à transporter pour assurer le succès de la mission ». L’alimentation repose donc uniquement sur une batterie à six éléments offrant jusqu’à cinq heures d’autonomie.

Ensuite, le GO20 MM conserve un poids relativement léger et une grande aisance de montage. Il ne comprend que quatre éléments principaux : une antenne rotative (35 kg), une unité de traitement fixe (32 kg), un tripode en fibre de carbone (14 kg) et une station de contrôle et son câblage (5 kg). L’ensemble est assemblé en cinq minutes par deux soldats.

Après deux années de développement, un délai relativement court pour un équipement militaire complexe, le GO20 MM est désormais une solution pleinement qualifiée et intégrée au portfolio Thales. À l’instar des GO12 et GO80, il sera produit en Allemagne, à Ditzingen (Bade-Wurtemberg). Avec un tel argumentaire, le nouveau venu a déjà suscité l’intérêt de clients de Thales lors de démonstrations, les utilisateurs de la famille Ground Observer en tête.

Norwegian company Kongsberg announced that its subsidiary Kongsberg Protech Systems USA has won a contract to supply a batch of Counter-Unmanned Aerial System weapon systems for the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC).

As noted by the company, Kongsberg has been awarded a contract from the US Marine Corps to provide its remote weapon systems for the Marine Air Defense Integrated System program (MADIS).

The indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract has a ceiling of $94 million and includes a series of Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) systems and full-rate production units. This production contract award follows a Sept. 2020 contract award from the USMC to Kongsberg for test articles and activities, which included Design Verification Testing (DVT).

The Kongsberg RS6 RWS for MADIS leverages technology and competence drawn from multiple counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) and air defense programs. The system leverages commonality with the family of PROTECTOR RWS delivered and fielded with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps and will be integrated on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) together with external sensors and effectors.

The first 30mm remote weapon system to be qualified on the JLTV platform, the Kongsberg RS6 RWS for MADIS RWS includes the XM914E1 30mmx113mm DC driven cannon with a co-axial M240 (7.62mm) machine gun, an integration kit for the Stinger Air-To-Air Launcher (ATAL) and provisions for future C-UAS defeat systems.

“The MADIS program with Kongsbergs RS6 30mm remote weapon system signifies a powerful lethality capability for the Marine Corps, initiating a new era in U.S. Marine Corps ground-based air defense operations,” said Pål E Bratlie, Executive Vice President, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.

Liteye Systems, based in Denver Colorado, has been awarded a $7,000,000 multiple-year contract to administer contracted logistics support to Counter UAV Defense Systems (C-AUDS) deployed to USAFE-AFAFRICA.

Liteye will implement on-site Field Service Representative (FSR) support across the AFRICOM and EUCOM theaters of operations, providing USAFE-AFAFRICA Subject Matter Expertise and material solutions to maintain equipment required to mitigate Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). Objectives of the service team will be to increase indications and warnings, enhance the U.S. security defense posture, enable the freedom of movement, increase partnership capacity and interoperability, and foster global security and stability throughout the Areas of Responsibility (AOR). The Liteye services team will provide 24/7 reach-back support, training, and system updates to ensure that the systems remain effective against the threats that are continuously increasing in complexity.

“Liteye is proud to support the Air Force counter-drone mission in EUCOM and AFRICOM,” said Kenneth Geyer, CEO of Liteye, “As unmanned platforms proliferate the air and ground in the battlefield, assuring these defense systems are operational 24/7 and continuing to advance to meet the ever-evolving threat is mission-critical.”

Liteye’s C-sUAS solutions can be layered with multiple effectors and battle management systems to Detect, Track, Identify and Defeat, threats operating in the Air, on the Ground, on the Surface, and within the Electromagnetic Spectrum. Liteye C-AUDS C-sUAS systems were contracted to the USAF between 2018 – 2020 to provide detection, tracking, and identification of Group 1 & 2 UAS in a range of combat environments spread out across the globe.

The drone threat has been growing exponentially every year with attacks not only against military targets but critical infrastructure such as airports, oil refineries, and cities. Liteye’s subject matter experts discover new technologies that protect vital IP and assets at all levels of a site. Since 2016 Liteye’s counter-drone systems have been protecting lives on the battlefield.

Source: Press Release