The Pentagon’s Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System Office (JCO) recently held its most ambitious field demonstration at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The event, known as “Demo Five,” tested the efficacy of various counter-drone systems against large-scale, coordinated drone swarms.
The demonstration, which ran from June 3 to June 28, featured up to 50 unmanned aircraft of different types converging on a single target at a time. These included fast jets, slower prop-driven drones, and mini-helicopters, ranging in size from under 20 pounds (Group 1 UAS) to over 1,000 pounds (Group 3 UAS). The scenarios were designed to challenge the participating defense systems with drones attacking from various altitudes and angles.
Col. Michael Parent, chief of acquisitions and resources at the Army-led JCO, described the event as the most challenging to date. The tests aimed to evaluate the systems’ capabilities in tracking, identifying, and neutralizing drone threats, providing valuable insights for U.S. and allied forces.
Eight industry teams were selected from nearly 60 proposals to participate in the demonstration. The vendors included Clear Align, Trakka USA Defense, Ideas, Commitment, Results (ICR), Inc., ELTA North America, Teledyne FLIR, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Advanced Technology Systems Corporation (ATSC), and Anduril Industries. These companies presented a mix of vehicle-mounted and man-portable systems, each combining multiple sensors and effectors to detect and counter the drone threats.
The demonstration featured various technologies, including radars, electro-optical and infrared cameras, radio-frequency scanners, guided rockets, drone-killing mini-drones, machine guns, and radio-frequency jammers. The latter, known as “soft kill” approaches, disrupt a drone’s GPS signal or command link without physically destroying it.
Although specific results from the demonstration have not been disclosed, Col. Parent indicated that the participating systems showed a greater level of maturity and effectiveness compared to previous demonstrations. “The vendors’ prototype defense systems all showed a greater level of maturity and offered much better solutions to the threat than those at previous demos,” he said.
The data from the demonstration is currently being analyzed and will be shared with military services, combatant commanders, and the participating vendors. The insights gained will inform future developments and investments in counter-drone technologies.
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