FORT BRAGG, N.C., Picogrid today announced a contract to support the XVIII Airborne Corps as it advances the Army’s modernization efforts, enabling more flexible, integrated use of battlefield systems. Through this work, Picogrid will allow units to rapidly integrate new battlefield systems faster in the field, with a focus on counter-unmanned aerial systems.
The contract is centered on a broader operational challenge facing the Army: as more sensors, autonomous systems, and software from various vendors enter the field, the Army needs a practical way to make these siloed systems work together without long integration timelines or custom engineering for every new capability.
Under the contract, Picogrid will deploy Legion and Expeditionary Command and Control Nodes to directly address this challenge. Together, these solutions will integrate disparate sensors, response systems, and mission software into a shared operational picture, even in environments where connectivity is limited. This work will support rapid onboarding of new technologies, data sharing across different networks, coordination across multiple systems, and continued experimentation with forward-deployed units.
The effort supports work through the Army’s Joint Innovation Outpost, or JIOP, which focuses on moving new capabilities into operational use quickly. For XVIII Airborne Corps, that need is especially acute. As the Army’s global response force, the unit is ready to deploy anywhere in the world on short notice and operates in conditions where systems need to work together immediately.
The award builds on Picogrid’s work supporting prior Army exercises, including Scarlet Dragon at Fort Bragg, where Picogrid orchestrated multiple sensor systems with supported detection, tracking, and sensor-to-sensor cueing workflows. These efforts demonstrated how units can integrate data from multiple systems and coordinate follow-on actions.
“As the Army fields more sensors, autonomous systems, and software, the bottleneck is no longer access to technology. It’s getting those systems to work together fast enough to matter,” said Jake Jeffries, Head of Deployments, Picogrid. “This effort is about giving units a common foundation they can use to bring new capabilities online in weeks, not months, while still working with the systems they already have.”
“For a formation that deploys on short notice, speed of integration matters just as much as the capability itself,” said CW3 Jennings of the XVIII Airborne Corps. “What we need is a system our soldiers can learn quickly, use in the field, and rely on to pull together sensors, decision-making, and response options into one workflow.”
As the pace of fielding continues to increase, the contract reflects a wider shift in Army modernization. The priority is not just acquiring new systems, but making sure they can be integrated, understood, and employed together under real operational conditions.
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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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