Counter-UAS (C-UAS)

Rheinmetall Defense has introduced another variant of its Skyranger air defense weapon system, the Skyranger 30 HEL - a mobile, hybrid solution mounting the company's 30mm AHEAD with a laser onboard. As a hybrid solution, the Skyranger 30 HEL is designed to thwart the full range of current and future airborne threats. The interplay of a 30mm automatic cannon, guided missiles, and a high-energy laser (HEL) results in a mix of effectors unique in this combination. The Skyranger HEL was presented in public for the first time at a counter-drone event held last year by the Swiss procurement agency armasuisse in Bure, Switzerland.

Aware of the growing threat of bomb-laden mini drones that recently emerged in Iraq and Syria, the US Army is rushing to field countermeasures and kinetic effects designed specifically to defeat drones. DRS and Moog are cooperating with RADA to demonstrate such 'hard kill' system for testing in October.

Dozens of unmanned underwater, surface and air vehicles from NATO countries have gathered in Portugal for two weeks in September, testing new technological advances in unmanned maritime systems networks. To beef up its Port defense capability the Portuguese Navy invited IAI to bring its Drone-Guard C-UAS system that provided unprecedented situational awareness and drone defeat capability during the exercise.

Israel’s C-UAS expert Skylock has unveiled at the UMEX exhibition in Dubai this week a new rocket-shaped hard-kill drone inhibitor countermeasure called Sky Interceptor, that can disable hostile drones at a range of 1,100 m’. A booster-extended range version can reach up to 3 km.

The failed assassination attempt in Caracas, Venezuela highlight the potential of drones as a weapon and a tool of terror, and the vulnerability of critical assets, even where drone countermeasures are active.

The United Kingdom has ordered six Drone Dome from Israel's RAFAEL company under an Urgent Capability Requirement (UCR) program, providing quick reaction counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) capability. The first phase of the deal is worth US$20 million and will be delivered this year.

Facing a growing aerial threat from unmanned systems, rockets, artillery, and mortars, the U.S. Army is accelerating the fielding of an Interim, Mobile Short Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) system to complement the tactical formations of its Stryker brigades. Leonardo DRS, Inc. was selected to provide such IM-SHORAD Mission Equipment Package (MEP) for installation Stryker A1 vehicles. The package includes onboard radar system, a turreted weapon system mounting missiles, guns, and non-kinetic (jammers and Electronic attack) capabilities. This system will provide the “detect-identify-track-defeat” capability required to defeat UAS, rotary-wing and fixed-wing threats.

Israel's 'Iron Beam' high-power laser air and missile defense system is moving forward, following today's IMOD decision to add hundreds of millions NIS to fund the full-scale development. More investment will be allocated for production and fielding. of the high-power laser system designed to intercept rockets, mortars, and UAVs. According to Rafael's CEO, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yoav Har-Even, “the ‘Iron Beam’ system, is the most powerful laser system of its kind in the world."

The US Office of Naval Research (ONR) is evaluating the integration of laser weapons as an enhancement for the US Marine Corps’ existing low-altitude air-defense capability, which currently lacks reliable CounterUAS (C-UAS) and Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (CRAM) capabilities. An innovative radar system from RADA is providing surveillance, detection and target acquisition for the laser weapon system

The SkyLord family employs XTend’s edge technology with cognitive skills to safely perform dangerous missions. The system uses augmented reality (AR) guidance and control technology to enable an operator to perform complex missions with great ease and precision, using an AR vision system and a single-handed controller. This telepresence interface enables operators to immerse themselves and “step into” a remote reality and engage targets effectively yet safely.

REX-1 from the Russian Kalashnikov Corp. Zala Aero group acts as a man-portable UAV and communications inhibitor.

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Iron Drone today announced that they have entered a collaboration agreement for the integration of Iron Drone's interception capabilities into IAI’s advanced anti-drone system, Drone Guard. The system can deploy several intercepting drones simultaneously, thus addressing multiple threats or swarms. The Iron Drone interceptor uses sensors and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based computer vision to home and locks on the target and homes-in up to the physical contact.

Determined to meet the challenge of hostile Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), the US Army acquired a number of countermeasures able to defeat such threats using electronic warfare.

The Australian company DroneShield announced the first sale of its DroneGun tactical drone jammer to a government in the middle east. As a point-and-shoot weapon, the DroneGun is designed to be effective against a wide variety of drones. By neutralizing drones from a safe distance, DroneGun offers advantages over alternative kinetic solutions such as nets or bullets, as it allows for safe handling of situations such as drones carrying explosives or biological payloads.