The Department of Defense awarded Citadel Defense a $6 million contract to build and supply a new AI-powered counter unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) system that will be developed using feedback from military operators and first responders, the company said on Aug. 12.

The new system built for this contract will be fixed for site protection and will be used at sensitive government locations and be operated by military personnel and first responders. The specific customer within the DoD who purchased the C-UAS system is classified, according to the release. 

“Addressing feedback from front line operators and government experts, we’ve worked with strategic partners to develop a highly integrated and scalable solution that counters armed and surveillance UAS compromising national security missions,” Christopher Williams, CEO of Citadel Defense, said in a statement. 

The C-UAS system will use AI, machine learning, and sensor fusion to autonomously detect, classify, and track drones. The system can also autonomously defeat drones if it has the authorization to do so, Williams told Defense Daily

“With an eye towards the future, when policy and authorization allows, we want to ensure that we are harnessing the latest technological innovations to provide the speed, protection, and reliability required to win future wars as the battlefield becomes more reliant on unmanned systems,” Williams said. 

The system will use radiofrequency countermeasures with extensibility along with tactics from other systems to defeat drones, Williams said. The system is also proven effective against drone swarms. 

“We focused our efforts on addressing operational gaps shared by military and government leaders to deliver an integrated solution that is easy to use and delivered with industry leading sustainment and support,” Josh Harman, Director of Growth and Partnerships for Citadel Defense, said in a statement. 

According to Williams, the first set of systems will be deployed at multiple locations over the next three months.