Washington: Anduril has prevailed in an Army and Defence Innovation Unit competition to provide a new system for managing defences against drone threats, the Army announced.
In a press release disclosing Anduril’s win, the Army said the company will furnish the service with a modernised fire control system for counter-drone operations, also known as C-UAS. A fire control system fuses together sensor data to ensure an operator can effectively strike a target.
“The Army will continue working closely with Anduril to refine and integrate this cutting-edge technology into its C-UAS architecture, ensuring the highest level of protection for our warfighters,” the service said in the announcement, without disclosing the contract value. Anduril did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
The company’s selection comes amid an Army plan to hold “recurring” competitions for counter-drone technologies, ranging from equipment that could be carried by the common soldier to electronic warfare systems. Officials have reportedly said they want the new fire control system to handle a wide variety of short-range air defences, but are focusing initially on the counter-drone mission.
“We need to ensure that we continuously outpace the threat,” Col Guy Yelverton, the project lead for the Army’s counter-drone product office, said during a panel discussion at the annual AUSA conference in Washington.
“So we will have these competitions at least at an every two-year cycle, to make sure that we know and understand the capabilities out there from our industry partners, and that we continue to provide our warfighters the best capability so that we outpace that threat that’s evolving,” he added.
In an apparent preview of the Anduril win, Yelverton said the winning fire control solution would replace the FAAD C2 (Forward Area Air Defence Command and Control) system currently provided by Northrop Grumman. The Northrop system combines sensor data to provide a comprehensive picture of the air space that can then direct a range of defences to knock down an inbound threat.
Northrop previously revealed it was competing to replace its FAAD C2 system with a new offering dubbed AiON, though it’s not clear what other firms bid in the competition.
“We are incredibly proud of the groundbreaking innovation and dedication demonstrated by our talented team in developing and successfully testing AiON, our next-generation counter-drone system. In just a few months, we delivered a cutting-edge capability that enhances warfighter protection in dynamic and evolving threat environments,” Kenn Todorov, vice president and general manager of command and control and weapons integration at Northrop, said in a statement.
“We see significant future opportunities to partner with other customers and allies who recognise the critical need for innovative solutions like AiON,” Todorov added.
