The first person to sound the alarm was an airport employee who would later become the case’s star witness. Spotting two strange objects hovering and darting across the evening sky, she didn’t hesitate: “There are two drones. They are large. It’s not toys,” she reported up the chain. Within minutes, Danish airspace was closed to everything except emergency landings.
What she saw that night, she later described in vivid detail. One object was a large, square shape, roughly 1.5 by 1.5 metres, that reminded her of a robotic lawnmower with rounded corners and a propeller at each corner. The second was smaller, white, round, and faster. Both had bright white lights. Yet the witness was remarkably candid about her own inexperience: she had never seen a real drone in person in her entire life, only on television, in films, or in the news. “I have not seen any drones physically… but I explain from what I feel, and then it was a drone,” she told investigators. To her, the slow hover that could suddenly accelerate, the propellers, and the lights all added up.
Police, however, reached a very different conclusion. After interviewing her four times and having experts analyse the phone video filmed by her colleague, they were clear: there were no drones. The large moving light captured on the grainy footage was a school training plane from Roskilde that had been cleared to fly in the area. The small, fast-moving “zigzagging” object was simply lens flare, a common reflection inside the camera lens caused by bright external lights. When the witness watched the same video again alongside journalists from Frihedsbrevet, she herself admitted that, yes, it could easily be mistaken for a small aircraft. Police delivered the same message to several of her colleagues: what they had seen were camera artefacts, ordinary aircraft… or, in one later case, a police helicopter.
That last detail reveals a classic false-confirmation loop. Once the initial drone report went out, authorities scrambled a helicopter from the police tactical unit to hunt for the suspected intruders. A colleague who spotted the helicopter later that evening naturally assumed it was yet another drone, only to be told by police that he had actually seen their own response aircraft. The very act of sending up a helicopter in pursuit of reported drones created a new “sighting” that seemed to confirm the original alarm.
Danish public broadcaster DR this week aired a documentary titled “Droner over Danmark” that further underlined concerns about the authorities’ handling of the events, including reports (as first reported by sUAS News) of the Danish military likely mistaking a Norwegian passenger airliner for a drone and firing upon it over Billund.
You can watch the documentary here: https://www.dr.dk/drtv/program/droner-over-danmark_596478
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It was an ambitious endeavor: Transform a pioneering idea into dynamic reality in a matter of months. The U.S. government, international allies and commercial and civil markets had been trying to tackle a growing problem: how to stop rogue and enemy drones.
A forward-thinking team at Northrop Grumman had an answer: AiON, a revolutionary, cost-effective and proven counter unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) command and control platform. AiON — pronounced “eye-on” and inspired by the Greek word “aeon” meaning vital force and eternity — affordably counters threats from unmanned systems, ones that continue to proliferate air spaces worldwide, threatening defense installations, critical infrastructure, major events and even human life. Acting as a shield in the sky, AiON protects against enemy and rogue drones that can carry deadly payloads, jam signals, carry out surveillance and smuggle contraband.
This is more than a military defense application problem — it addresses civilian needs including protection of critical infrastructure, municipalities and the public. We’re pushing the art of the possible; the sky is the limit, and AiON is protecting it.
— John Myers
AiON’s team lead, Northrop Grumman
Herculean Efforts in Record Time
To hit the deadline of a kinetic testing event hosted by a U.S. government research and development agency that was scheduled for fall 2025, a group of engineers joined forces to adapt Northrop Grumman’s advanced command and control technology for drone warfare and bring it to life.
More than 70 employees nationwide make up the team, from engineers to business development professionals to contract specialists across the company. They engineered AiON — which is multi-use and can be employed for defense, civil and commercial purposes — for versatility. Designed to operate anywhere, from the cloud to the tactical edge, the command and control system enables a single operator to manage multiple sites from a single location and connect with more than 40 sensors and 45 effectors. With traditional systems often siloed, our innovative, flexible approach gives customers more options to tailor systems to various threats, missions, locations and rules of engagement.
“At its core, AiON simplifies complex counter-drone operations, making them faster, more efficient and manageable for the user. Its purpose-built design allows connection to any system on the market,” said Paul Cano, a field engineer.
The Shoot Off
In just four months, the team took AiON from an idea to shooting down drones at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, during an inaugural live fire test.
“Our team was up early as the winds whipped up the desert sand and dust,” said Kevin Lee, a cyber systems engineer. “We were first in line and set the bar against the competition as we hit 100% of our targets. It was remarkable to see our designs go from the computer and simulations to a real live, explosive test.”
At Yuma, AiON successfully demonstrated the use of advanced decision aids and operator-supervised autonomous engagements. The platform showcased its state-of-the-art technology by detecting, tracking, identifying and neutralizing both simulated and real targets during four engagements with perfect precision and efficiency.
Limitless
Following the program’s decisive performance, AiON is now available for sole source procurement by all U.S. defense agencies, opening new domestic and international possibilities.
As a shield in the sky, there are no limits for AiON. Its success at Yuma and significant global interest demonstrates the program’s bright future as the team works to push the envelope of what’s possible.
“There’s a great deal of opportunity ahead. I couldn’t have asked for a team with more determination and tenacity,” said John Myers, AiON’s team lead. “This is more than a military defense application problem — it addresses civilian needs including protection of critical infrastructure, municipalities and the public. We’re pushing the art of the possible; the sky is the limit, and AiON is protecting it.”
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However, I’m still a bit miffed that my old haunt from the 80s—63 Squadron—has been transitioned into the RAF Regiment. Seeing the change earns a bit of a “mutter and grumble” from me.
The story so far needs a place to live for future reference. I think this is a fairly comprehensive list. Do let me know if I missed any.
The RAF Regiment’s role in counter-drone operations is a modern extension of its historical mandate to provide low-level air defence for RAF airfields. The core of this capability lies with 34 Squadron RAF Regiment, which was formed at RAF Yatesbury on 19 November 1951. The squadron initially provided close air defence using 40mm Bofors guns during the Suez Canal Crisis and later in Cyprus during the EOKA terrorist campaign. During the cold war, it converted to a light armoured role using Scorpion combat vehicles before returning to ground-based air defence.
The defining shift in the squadron’s history occurred in the summer of 2022, when 34 Squadron officially re-roled as a dedicated counter-uncrewed aircraft system unit. Today, alongside 63 Squadron RAF Regiment and the 609 Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment, it forms the No 2 Counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems Wing based at RAF Leeming. Operating under the Global Enablement and Combat Readiness Force commands, the wing is currently the only fixed-site counter-drone capability for UK defence.
The counter-drone arsenal: detect, disrupt, and destroy
The RAF’s counter-drone scheme is built upon a layered detect, disrupt, and destroy methodology, designed to preserve air operations and protect infrastructure. The equipment encompasses several highly integrated technologies.
ORCUS: Emerging from the Defence Equipment and Support’s Project Synergia, ORCUS is the UK military’s specific configuration of Leonardo’s Falcon Shield. Designed to defeat low, slow, and small threats, the modular system fuses 3D multi-mode surveillance radar with radio frequency direction finding. For visual confirmation, it employs the NERIO-ULR gyro-stabilised turret, which features high-definition daytime and thermal cameras to provide positive identification at extreme ranges.
NINJA: Developed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory and integrated into ORCUS by Leonardo, NINJA provides a surgical cyber effect. It electronically takes command of a hostile drone by hijacking its radio frequency links, allowing RAF operators to safely land the rogue drone for forensic exploitation.
Guardian: Acting as a long-range electronic sniper rifle, the Leonardo Guardian system provides an additional electronic warfare layer by jamming a drone’s command and control or GPS navigation links.
Rapid Sentry: When electronic soft-kills are insufficient against autonomous or swarming drones, the RAF relies on Rapid Sentry. This kinetic system fires the Lightweight Multirole Missile manufactured by Thales UK. Capable of speeds above Mach 1.5, the laser beam-riding missile can destroy fast-moving aerial threats at ranges exceeding 6km.
Shadow ISTAR: In complex environments, the ground-based sensors are reinforced by Shadow R1 and R2 reconnaissance aircraft, which use advanced electro-optical and electronic intelligence suites from high altitude to track drones back to their operators on the ground.
Timeline of deployments (2018 to 2026)
The RAF’s counter-drone framework has evolved rapidly from domestic civil-contingency support to a high-readiness expeditionary combat force.
December 2018: The RAF deployed an early Leonardo predecessor to the ORCUS system to locate drones. Shortly afterwards, the system was deployed to London Heathrow Airport.
June 2021: ORCUS systems, operated by the RAF Regiment, were deployed to the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall.
August 2021: The integration of the US NINJA technology into the ORCUS system was successfully evaluated at the RAF Spadeadam electronic warfare range in Cumbria.
Summer 2022: The counter-drone framework was activated as a national standby capability to monitor airspace during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
November 2024: US Air Force bases in the UK, specifically RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell. The Combat Readiness Force deployed approximately 60 personnel with the ORCUS system. They were supported by Shadow ISTAR aircraft from RAF Waddington and US F-15E Strike Eagles.
October 2025: The threat expanded into hybrid warfare against NATO allies. A specialist team from No 2 Counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems Wing deployed to Copenhagen, Denmark, at the Danish government’s request, securing two major European summits.
November 2025: An RAF detachment deployed to Belgium to protect sensitive sites, including airports in Brussels and Liege, and military bases such as Kleine-Brogel.
February to March 2026: The mission transitioned into active kinetic combat. Following an Iranian-made Shahed-type drone strike on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, the RAF deployed the Rapid Sentry system to the region. On the night of 23 to 24 March 2026, RAF Regiment gunners executed the most effective defensive action to date against persistent one-way attack drones. During this period, four gunners achieved historic drone ace status by successfully shooting down five or more hostile drones.
April 2026: Amidst escalating conflict in the Middle East, the UK deployed the Rapid Sentry system to Kuwait. The deployment aimed to defend critical national infrastructure, including an oil refinery at Mina al-Ahmadi and a vital water desalination plant, following deliberate drone and missile strikes by Iran.
This is the wrong Squadron 151, but same airfield. Lundy Island where just beyond Hawks made circles in the sky with target banners behind them.
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Ondas Inc. (Nasdaq: ONDS) (“Ondas” or the “Company”), a leading provider of autonomous aerial and ground robot intelligence through its Ondas Autonomous Systems (OAS) business unit and private wireless solutions through Ondas Networks, today announced that its subsidiary, Sentrycs, deployed its Cyber-over-RF (“CoRF”) solution as part of Swisscom Broadcast’s DroneDefence system to protect the
world’s most sensitive security environments during the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, Switzerland.
Swisscom Broadcast supported the Graubünden Cantonal Police in securing the event, implementing a tailored, multi-sensor, multi-technology counter-drone architecture adapted to the security requirements and terrain conditions in Davos. Within this framework, Sentrycs’ Cyber-over-RF technology contributed advanced detection, identification, and controlled mitigation capabilities. As part of Swisscom Broadcast’s tailored deployment in Davos, the system enabled continuous monitoring and early detection and classification of drone activity under demanding local conditions.
“Major international events such as the World Economic Forum highlight the growing requirement for persistent protection of low-altitude airspace over public gatherings, critical infrastructure, and high-value locations,” said Eric Brock, Chairman and CEO of Ondas.“Sentrycs’ Cyber-over-RF technology is uniquely suited to serve as a foundational layer of counter-UAS infrastructure, providing early detection, identification, and electronic mitigation capabilities while operating within regulatory frameworks. As governments and security organizations begin investing in counter-drone infrastructure to protect cities, public events, and strategic facilities, solutions like Sentrycs’ CoRF platform will play an increasingly central role in securing the lower airspace.”
The World Economic Forum is one of the most visible international gatherings, hosting approximately 3,000 representatives from government, business, and academia, including numerous heads of state and senior officials. Given the scale and profile of the event, protecting the lower airspace was an essential component of the overall security framework.
As part of Swisscom Broadcast’s DroneDefence solution, Sentrycs’ technology supported a consistent operational picture while enabling tiered response options, including cyber takeover and mitigation measures implemented in accordance with regulatory requirements. Automation capabilities reduced operational burden and supported reliable system performance throughout the event.
“The multi-technology approach implemented in Davos provided the clear operational picture required for an event of this scale,” said Markus Lichtensteiger, Key Account Manager at Swisscom Broadcast. “Early detection and structured response capabilities were essential to maintaining airspace security under demanding conditions.”
“Precise situational awareness of the lower airspace and the ability to act within regulatory boundaries, are essential to protect major international events,” said Tal Cohen, CEO of
Sentrycs. “We are proud that our technology was integrated into Swisscom Broadcast’s
DroneDefence deployment in Davos, contributing to a structured and reliable counter-drone capability during the World Economic Forum.”
The successful deployment at the World Economic Forum 2026 underscores the growing importance of regulation-compliant counter-drone technologies that can be adapted to complex, high-profile environments.
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The American south-west has become an unwitting testing ground for a dangerous power struggle between civil aviation regulators and security agencies eager to deploy unproven, high-energy weaponry in domestic airspace. In the latest humiliating blunder, the US military used a laser to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” drone near the US-Mexico border, only to discover the aircraft actually belonged to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency.
This spectacular case of friendly fire prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to hastily close airspace around Fort Hancock, Texas. It is merely the latest in a string of alarming, uncoordinated incidents that have left lawmakers furious and the public caught in the crossfire of an increasingly reckless border strategy.
“Our heads are exploding over the news,” said US Representative Rick Larsen, who joined other top Democrats in condemning the Trump administration for its sheer incompetence and for sidestepping bipartisan efforts to improve inter-agency communication. Senator Tammy Duckworth rightfully demanded an independent investigation, stating that the administration’s actions continue “to cause chaos in our skies”.
The escalating friction appears deeply intertwined with the administration’s aggressive doctrinal pivot, notably its rebranding of the Department of Defense to the “Department of War”. The shift, intended to signal “maximum lethality” and a departure from “tepid legality,” has rapidly trickled down to operational protocols. Security agencies defend these unprecedented inter-agency operations as necessary to mitigate threats from Mexican cartels, noting that more than 27,000 drones were detected near the southern border in the latter half of 2024 alone.
Yet, the urge to deploy new technology is dangerously outpacing the safeguards designed to control it. This latest drone debacle comes just weeks after an equally farcical and highly disruptive episode near Fort Bliss. Eager to test directed-energy weapons without fully coordinating with the FAA, Pentagon officials fired upon what they believed was a cartel drone. The target, it was later revealed, was not a national security threat, but a child’s Mylar party balloon.
The ensuing chaos forced the FAA administrator, Bryan Bedford, to unilaterally close the airspace over El Paso for seven hours, designating it “National Defense Airspace”. This sudden closure effectively turned a city of nearly 700,000 people into a no-fly zone, stranding travellers and diverting medical evacuations to ensure civilian pilots were not blinded by military lasers.
The friction is fundamentally a clash of cultures. The FAA operates on a safety-first model, while newly emboldened security agencies increasingly view these safety protocols as bureaucratic hurdles. As General Glen VanHerck of US Northern Command noted during the 2023 Chinese balloon incident, detecting small airborne objects remains a significant “domain awareness gap”. However, attempting to fill that gap with high-energy lasers in populated areas—and frequently misidentifying friendly drones and party balloons in the process—suggests a worrying failure in the sensor technology used to justify such kinetic action.
When national security is repeatedly used to override civilian safety protocols, it invites disaster. The shoot-down of a party balloon in El Paso and the friendly-fire destruction of a CBP drone in Fort Hancock serve as glaring warnings: the skies are growing increasingly crowded, and the unilateral deployment of experimental military hardware ensures that it is inevitably the public who pays the price.
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Picogrid and Guardian RF today announced a joint contract to support installation security operations at Vandenberg Space Force Base. This collaboration arrives amid a surge in unauthorized drone activity over sensitive military sites globally.
At the core of the deployment are Guardian RF’s low-SWaP Scout sensors integrated into Picogrid’s Expeditionary Command and Control Nodes (ECN). The Guardian RF platform provides persistent, real-time airspace awareness across distributed sites, automatically cueing existing camera systems to enhance perimeter and installation security. Picogrid’s architecture consolidates distributed defense capabilities into a unified operational picture, enabling Airmen to access actionable information necessary to protect high-value space launch assets and personnel.
Guardian RF’s passive RF sensors detect and analyze drone communications providing early indication of both known and non-standard sUAS threats while reducing vulnerability to jamming and electronic attack. To extend this capability, Guardian RF leverages Picogrid’s ECN to provide modular power, secure networking, and edge compute, enabling scalable deployment across the installation.
“Integrating passive RF sensing into an open, operational command-and-control environment is critical for counter-UAS missions at sensitive installations,” said Lucas Raskin, CEO of Guardian RF. “Our work with Picogrid enables an extensible, integrated approach to defending critical infrastructure.”
“We are proud to bring together strong partners and extend integrated capabilities across the Department of War,” said Jacob Jeffries, Head of Deployments and Partnerships at Picogrid. “Our collaboration with Guardian RF highlights the value of an ecosystem-driven approach to counter-UAS missions and reflects our continued investment in supporting Space Force operations at Vandenberg.”
This partnership reflects Picogrid’s continued efforts to integrate best-in-class technologies into a unified, vendor-agnostic architecture designed to address diverse mission requirements. Together with leading partners, Picogrid is accelerating advanced sensing and autonomy capabilities from development to deployment in support of force protection and battlefield management.
About Guardian RF
Guardian RF Corporation builds low-cost, passive radiofrequency systems that make the increasingly active low-altitude airspace above critical sites observable in real time. The technology detects, classifies, and attributes drone and operator activity continuously and transforms a crowded and often unseen domain into persistent airspace intelligence for defense, public safety, and critical infrastructure operators operating in complex environments. The platform’s low size, weight, and power sensors are suited for fixed sites or mobile kits. Guardian RF delivers executable insights through hardware, data services, and secure analytic platforms. More info at https://www.guardianrf.com/
About Picogrid
Picogrid is a technology company that builds products to integrate mission-critical systems. Its hardware and software products connect sensors, unmanned platforms, and digital systems, enabling unified control and data flow in defense and industrial environments. Deployed globally and supported by leading Silicon Valley investors, Picogrid delivers infrastructure for mission execution across land, sea, air, and space. Learn more at picogrid.com.
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The answer determines whether an incident becomes a near-miss or something far more serious.
For organizations responsible for securing sensitive facilities, managing large-scale events, or protecting critical infrastructure, passive monitoring is no longer sufficient. You need real-time awareness and the ability to act on it immediately. That’s why airspace security provider Airspace Link is introducing Alert Areas within its AirHub Portal—a powerful new tool that transforms how organizations detect, monitor, and respond to rogue drone activity.
What Alert Areas Do:
Alert Areas allow organizations to establish monitored 3D airspace volumes within AirHub® Portal and receive instant in-app and email notifications when live drone activity is detected inside those areas.
Users can create Alert Areas directly in AirHub Portal using familiar workflows. Each Alert Area includes a defined geographic boundary, upper and lower altitude limits, and designated recipients for incursion notifications. Alert Areas can be configured as ongoing for permanent infrastructure or time-limited, providing flexibility for both permanent and temporary airspace monitoring needs.
- Real-Time Incursion Detection: Alerts are triggered by live flight telemetry from sensors enabled for your organization. When a drone enters an Alert Area, the system generates a notification once per detected flight per volume entry, ensuring clear, actionable awareness without alert fatigue.
- In-App & Email Notifications: Designated users receive immediate notification when a flight is detected within an Alert Area. Your security team, operations center, or incident commanders get timely visibility into potential airspace risks, whether they’re at their desk or responding in the field.
- Flexible 3D Airspace Definition: Define precise horizontal boundaries and altitude limits to monitor exactly the airspace that matters, from low-altitude sensitive zones to taller vertical volumes.
- Sensor-Agnostic Architecture: Alert Areas work across a growing portfolio of sensor integration partners and can support customers deploying new or existing sensors onto the AirHub platform, ensuring adaptability as detection capabilities evolve.
Why This Matters Now
Alert Areas deliver a critical layer of operational awareness and proactive safety for organizations responsible for sensitive or high-risk airspace:
- Active Risk Management: Move from passive monitoring to real-time awareness of potential airspace incursions around critical infrastructure, facilities, events, and emergency response zones. Know what’s happening in your airspace as it happens—not after reviewing logs the next day.
- Improved Airspace Safety: Gain timely insight into drone activity that could impact operations, security, or public safety, enabling faster assessment and response. When your team receives an alert within seconds of an incursion, you have time to assess, coordinate, and respond appropriately—whether that means redirecting aircraft, pausing operations, or deploying security resources.
- Operational Confidence: Ensure stakeholders have a shared, consistent view of airspace activity, supporting informed decision-making during both planned and unplanned events. When your operations center, security command, and field teams all see the same alert simultaneously, coordination improves and response becomes seamless.
Securing Airspace for Critical Operations: Who Alert Areas Serve
Alert Areas are designed for organizations where airspace awareness directly impacts safety, security, or operational continuity:
- State and Local Public Safety & Security Officials who need real-time awareness of drone activity during events, emergencies, or sensitive operations.
- Utilities and Infrastructure Operators responsible for monitoring and securing critical or sensitive assets such as power generation, transmission, water facilities, and transportation corridors.
- Organizations Managing High-Visibility Events or Facilities including stadiums, campuses, and restricted sites requiring heightened airspace awareness.
The Future of Airspace Safety & Security
Alert Areas are the foundation for a broader set of airspace security and operational awareness capabilities within AirHub® Portal. Planned enhancements include incursion analytics to identify patterns over time, in-app drone whitelisting to reduce false positives, and integration with the AirHub Portal live operations center display for centralized, real-time situational awareness.
For FIFA World Cup host cities and other major event organizers: Airspace Link is actively supporting municipalities with Counter-UAS planning and federal funding applications.
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Babcock International Group (Babcock) and Frankenburg Technologies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the development of a new and affordable air defence system in response to the increase of one-way attack drones.
As part of the MoU, Babcock, a world leader in designing and manufacturing maritime launch systems, will develop a cost-effective, containerised platform for launching Frankenburg’s new low-cost missiles, which it is manufacturing at pace, specifically to defend against one-way attack drones.
This joint capability will provide more affordable, scalable and kinetic solutions which are needed to be developed to protect military personnel and critical national infrastructure sites which could be exposed to attack across Europe.
With Frankenburg’s engineering function led from the UK, the relationship will provide both organisations with the opportunity to develop a new sovereign capability, creating skilled employment in the UK and providing Babcock and Frankenburg with global export opportunities.
David Lockwood, CEO of Babcock, said: “Defence has entered a new era with the rapid development of drone warfare and industry needs to respond to this growing threat. We work with the brightest start-ups on defence’s most critical challenges, and we’re pleased to be working with Frankenburg Technologies on the development of an innovative maritime counter-drone air defence system.”
Kusti Salm, CEO of Frankenburg Technologies, added: “Frankenburg Technologies’ mission is clear: to bring affordability and scale to modern air defence. The drone threat has changed the character of warfare, and every layer of defence now needs to be designed for mass and speed from the outset. Partnering with Babcock, a recognised leader in maritime defence, allows us to combine rapid innovation with proven naval and industrial expertise, accelerating the delivery of an operational maritime capability.”
About Babcock
Babcock is a FTSE 100 international defence company, operating in the UK, Australasia, Canada, France, and South Africa with exports to additional markets. We deliver complex support and product solutions to enhance our customers’ defence capabilities and critical assets. We are driven by our purpose: to create a safe and secure world, together.
About Frankenburg Technologies
Frankenburg Technologies is a defence technology company, operating in the United Kingdom, Tallinn, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Germany, Poland, and Ukraine. A third of the engineering function is based in the UK. Company is developing next-generation interceptor missiles for short-range air defence and counter-UAS. Systems are designed to protect armed forces and critical national infrastructure from large-scale aerial threats. Designed to be fast, lightweight, and mass-manufacturable, Frankenburg’s missile systems drastically lower intercept cost and complement existing layered air defence architectures.
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The Ministry of Defence will be investing heavily in new resources to combat drones in the coming years. The threat of unmanned systems is increasing rapidly. This is evident from the war in Ukraine, the threat from the East, and developments in the Middle East. In addition, there are the recent drone incidents in Poland and Romania, and more recently in the Netherlands. Therefore, the Ministry of Defence wants to have additional systems available more quickly that can be deployed against unmanned aircraft. State Secretary Gijs Tuinman wrote this to the House of Representatives yesterday.
In 2028, the organization will deploy the new Skyranger 30 anti-drone cannon system. Until then, to provide infantry units with mobile capabilities against small drones, the Ministry of Defence is purchasing readily available Combat Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS). These systems include armored wheeled vehicles as chassis and remotely operated weapon systems. They also include ammunition and Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) assets. The Ministry of Defence is integrating these components, in collaboration with industry, into an operational air defense system. These systems will remain operational even after the arrival of the Skyranger 30 .
In addition, the Ministry of Defence is accelerating the order for the Skyranger30 to include mobile anti-drone cannon systems. These are intended to protect critical infrastructure, such as the Port of Rotterdam. They will also protect military locations and the upcoming armoured infantry battalion.
Detect and disrupt
The Ministry of Defence is also strengthening its drone protection with other weapon systems. For example, army and navy units are receiving light patrol vehicles with integrated weapons. Furthermore, all available air defense assets ( extended All Arms Air Defence (eAAAD)) are being expanded with new portable and vehicle-based systems. Consider additional capabilities for detecting and disrupting drones.
Finally, the Ministry of Defence is investing in new technologies, including so-called interceptor drones . These are designed to disable enemy versions by colliding with them or detonating them.
The total investment is between €1 and €2.5 billion. This will better prepare the armed forces to defend their own territory and that of their allies.
Kamikaze drones
The navy is also facing the growing threat of drones and must take more action against them. Navy ships are currently insufficiently equipped to combat kamikaze drones, among other things. This can be achieved with a maritime kinetic CUAS defense system. Because these land-based systems are already available, the European defense industry is expected to be able to offer a solution for the navy as well. This project involves an investment of between €250 million and €1 billion.
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Echodyne, the radar platform company, today announces a collaboration with Poland’s Military Institute of Armored and Automotive Technology (WITPiS), a leading research and development center in the field of land vehicle technology. Through this collaboration, the teams will work to assess, integrate, and find potential uses for Echodyne’s counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) radars in Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) developed by WITPiS and its industrial partners.
Echodyne will be working closely with its long-time partner and distributor in Poland, Linc Polska, to test, demonstrate, and present the capabilities of C-UAS radar technology with WITPiS’ UGVs. The three entities will work hand-in-hand to identify both civil and military applications for the radar-enabled UGVs in the region.
“The Military Institute of Armored and Automotive Technology brings critical expertise to our collaboration to deliver best-in-class ground-based systems for detection and situational awareness,” said Eben Frankenberg, CEO of Echodyne. “As Allied militaries increasingly put the spotlight on modernizing their land force capabilities, Echodyne looks forward to continuing to demonstrate how our MESA radars provide the highest performance for on-the-move threat detection, and integration into larger counter-UAS and defense systems.”
Echodyne’s 4D metamaterials electronically scanned array (MESA) radars are perfectly suited to provide the reliable precision tracking capabilities required for fixed, portable, and on-the-move C-UAS missions. Rooted in the belief that data fidelity makes all the difference to C-UAS mission success, Echodyne radars consistently generate a high-fidelity view of the airspace, detecting and tracking UAS intruders with pinpoint accuracy.
“Echodyne’s been a long-time partner of ours and we know exactly what their consistent, reliable radar technology is capable of,” said Harald Dingemans, CEO at Linc Polska. “We look forward to showcasing different ways the radar technology can support the modernization of land capabilities with WITPiS UGVs.”
About Echodyne
Echodyne, the radar platform company, is a U.S. designer and manufacturer of advanced commercial radar systems for defense, government, and commercial market applications. The company combines patented metamaterials electronically scanned array (MESA®) architecture with powerful software and machine learning to deliver high fidelity situational awareness data pinpointing activity in air and surface domains with unrivalled speed, accuracy, and precision. Proven and trusted by militaries, agencies, integrators, and critical infrastructure across the globe, Echodyne’s products set a new standard for radar excellence. Privately held, the company is headquartered in Kirkland, WA, USA and backed by Bill Gates, NEA, Madrona Venture Group, Baillie Gifford, Northrop Grumman, and Supernal, among others. See radar in action at Echodyne.com.
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