US Counter-Drone Capabilities Enhanced

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When used by adversaries, small, unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) can become weapons of destruction that pose risks to personnel, critical assets and military operations. Due to the size, material and flight altitude of small drones, they cannot be mitigated by traditional air defense systems. To counter these threats, the US Department of Defense (DoD) appointed the US Army as the executive agent to oversee all C-sUAS programs; the executive agent later established the Joint C-sUAS Office (JCO) in January 2020. 

Today, JCO leads, synchronizes, and directs all counter-drone activities across the DoD. Part of JCO’s strategy is to “Ready the Force,” which includes the development of materiel and non-materiel solutions that maximize counter capabilities as well as aid in the execution of DoD missions and defense against adversaries’ objectives. The DoD has allocated $404 million for C-UAS research and development as well as $83 million for C-UAS procurement for the 2021 fiscal year. 

XTEND has delivered dozens of SKYLORD GRIFFON counter-drone interception systems to the US Army Special Operations Command. 

The system is a smart hard-kill C-UAS platform that allows any operator with no flight experience to kinetically intercept aerial threats using a resilient, ultra-fast drone system. It seamlessly interfaces with any detection or command and control system for total control. Fusing edge technology with human-centric cognitive capabilities— such as 3D navigation, visual HMI spatial translation, and augmented reality API—operators can deploy multiple drone teams to detect, identify, and intercept enemy drones, as reported by securityinfowatch.com.

The system is designed to defeat Group 1/2 COTS UAS in ranges of up to three miles from the launch point. It flies up to 80 miles per hour and uses a single use effector to intercept the target drone within seconds of recognition.

The system leverages state-of-the-art AR technology and enables operators to immerse themselves in remote, high-risk, GPS denied locations, avoiding danger, according to the company. In addition to counter-drone interception, the systems are also optimal for ground-based air defense (GBAD), urban warfare, counter improvised explosive device initiatives (C-IED) and subterranean (Sub-T) operations.