Graham Warwick | Aviation Week & Space Technology

Countering Unmanned

Countering small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is now a major concern for the military and other government agencies seeking to protect deployed forces and critical infrastructure from nefarious surveillance and “flying IEDs.” To the U.S. Army, which tested available counter-UAS systems at the end of 2015, the key threat is commercially available, under-20-lb. vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) UAS that can operate from anywhere. A trio of small U.K. companies–Blighter Surveillance Systems, Chess Dynamics and Enterprise Control Systems—have integrated radar detection, electro-optical/infrared tracking and radio-frequency jamming to down small UAS. But heavyweights Israel Aerospace Industries, Lockheed Martin and Selex ES are on a growing list offering counter-UAS systems.