The Army last week issued a Request for Information seeking solutions that can detect, track, identify and or defeat swarms of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) and is planning to host a demonstration next summer of potential systems in a live fire environment.
The Joint Counter-sUAS (C-sUAS) Office (JCO) and the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) said that the demonstrations may lead to awards for prototype projects that would be operationally field tested to learn more about their “capabilities and limitations” and in turn could lead to Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) or other contract actions.
The Army is interested in fixed or mobile C-sUAS solutions. Systems selected for prototype projects must be able to integrate with the Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control system, which is supplied by Northrop Grumman [NOC].
A swarm of sUAS is a “group of unmanned aircraft that demonstrates coordinated behavior to achieve a common objective,” the Army said.
There are five phases to the project announcement. The first is the request for whitepapers on proposed solutions, which are due by Sept. 6. The JCO will host a virtual industry day on Aug. 22.
The final four phases are by invitation only. The second phase is when companies will make oral presentations about their systems.
Phase 3 is for selected companies to demonstrate their solutions next June at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The fourth phase is for prototype proposals and the final phase is an OTA award or awards.
The Army said that successful prototype projects could lead to follow-on production.
In June, the JCO issued an RFI seeking support to help plan for the counter drone swarm demonstration next summer. The RFI said that C-sUAS demonstration would feature drone swarm targets of at least 20 and up to 50 Group 1 and 2 aircraft at once and at least six Group 3 UAS at once. Group 1 drones weigh up to 20 pounds, Group 2 between 21 and 55 pounds, and Group 3 less than 1,320 pounds.
The JCO’s interest in being able to counter multiple small UAS targets simultaneously stems from lessons being learned in Ukraine’s war against Russian and other areas of the world where small, relatively inexpensive drones are being used to conduct surveillance and targeting and even to attack soft and armored targets.