After observing the threat one-way attack drones have posed in Ukraine, the Pentagon’s Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft System Office (JCO) recently concluded a demonstration with industry showcasing high-powered microwave and kinetic solutions for taking out such systems.
Army Col. Michael Parent, chief of the JCO’s acquisition and resources division, said the office is aiming to conclude its report on the results of its fourth demo by the end of July, which will include the potential cost and delivery timelines for recommended solutions.
“Then, the services and [our international] partners can make decisions based on what fits their gaps and needs,” Parent told reporters during a briefing last week on the recent demo. “If it does [fit their requirements], they can fund it further for prototyping and actually sending it forward.”
JCO’s latest industry demo took place from May 30 to June 23 at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, and included participation from Lockheed Martin [LMT], Thales, SAIC [SAIC], Invariant and MSI Defense.
The one high-powered microwave (HPM) system assessed at the demo was Lockheed Martin’s Mobile Radio Frequency-Integrated UAS Suppressor (MORFIUS), which the JCO described as a “tube-launched, fixed-wing UAS that flies close to sUAS targets and defeats them with HPM pulses.”
The kinetic solutions at the event included Thales’ Lightweight Multi-Role Missile, a tripod fired, laser guided missile, as well as the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, which is a 70mm Hydra rocket with a laser guidance kit and proximity fuze, which SAIC, Invariant and MSI Defense each fired with their own target guidance systems, according to Parent.
“We’re really trying to get after the gaps. The gaps are always evolving. And one-way-attack for Group 3 [drones] is one of those evolving threats out there. So for a high-powered microwave, the challenge is really [working] at distance, right? You have to close the gap and distance between the attacking targets and also launching that [defeat] system. With APKWS, we’ve seen this a few times in a number of different demonstrations and exercises and it does quite well. It’s really refining the capability as it matures,” Parent said. “The Lightweight Multi-role Missile, this was the first time we’ve seen it, at least here at one of our demonstrations. It’s definitely showing that it can mature and it’s showing that it can do well.”
Parent noted he couldn’t disclose specific results from the demo while the JCO continues finalizing its report, while adding “the event was very informative” on how these systems operate against one-way attack drones.
“I would say most of them are really readily available to buy to be prototyped and operationally assessed. Some might need additional work and more to follow once information fully comes out with the report,” Parent said.
Ahead of the demonstration, the JCO said it was interested in solutions capable of targeting Group 3 drones and that have a technology readiness level higher than six with the ability to integrate with the Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2), a platform supplied by Northrop Grumman [NOC] that integrates systems used for C-UAS, short-range air defense, and countering rocket, artillery and mortar fire (Defense Daily, Oct. 19 2022).
JCO’s notice to industry detailing the demo noted the competitive event may result in the award of one or more prototype projects using flexible acquisition authorities.
Parent noted the JCO’s previous three demos resulted in systems being procured for further prototyping or for use by international partners.
“But, again, it really is the services, the combatant commands and the partners who will look at the data and say, ‘Hey, this fits a need.’ Maybe if it’s an urgent need, then they will assess whether or not it’s worth putting additional dollars there,” Parent said.
The JCO last November expanded its list of recommended vendor solutions for countering-drones as a service to include offerings from CACI International [CACI] and Rafael Systems Global Sustainment, joining systems from Anduril Industries, Black Sage Technologies and SAIC (Defense Daily, Nov. 29 2022).
Parent noted the JCO will also have its own prototyping dollars available starting in fiscal year 2024 to procure systems for further demonstrations.
The JCO is working on finalizing plans for its fifth demo with industry, with the office working on refining which capability gap it will look to address next.
A request for white papers is likely to go out to industry around October, with the office aiming to hold the next demo in June 2024.
Parent said future demonstrations may potentially look at threat areas such as large-scale drone attacks.
“That is certainly a threat that’s out there. It’s an evolving threat. We can see it in Ukraine and other areas of the world. And that’s one area that we’re looking at,” Parent said.