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Rapidly Developed Counter-Drone Prototype Succeeds at NATO’s Bold Machina

Tuesday, January 6th, 2026

A new, innovative detection system for countering uncrewed aerial systems (c-UAS) conducted its first field tests at sea during the Bold Machina (BOMA) exercise in the Netherlands this September. Rapidly developed by a small team led by officer-scholars from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), the c-UAS system deployed aboard a Dutch Navy fast raiding, interception, and special forces craft (FRISC).

Designed for passive operation, the system employed artificial intelligence (AI) to integrate multiple independent sensor platforms to detect and identify class 1 drones. Because these types of drones are numerous, small, and difficult to track, they pose significant threats. When fully functional, the system provides special forces operating in the maritime domain valuable protection against distant incoming drones without compromising their position.

The NPS efforts support the U.S. Department of War’s priority to accelerate drone development and deployment outlined in “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance.” The memo laid out the plan for how the department would “… power a technological leapfrog, arming our combat units with a variety of low-cost drones made by America’s world-leading engineers and AI experts.”

Local and International Teamwork

NATO Allied Special Operations Forces Command (SOFCOM) sponsored BOMA with technical support from the NATO Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE). Over 150 personnel from 17 individual NATO special operations forces (SOF) commands and two NATO partner SOF commands participated. Representatives from Ukraine also attended. International collaborations like this are essential for ensuring national and global security and maintaining cooperation between allies.

Military conflicts often drive rapid advancement and adoption of new technology. Exemplifying this, the war in Ukraine has thoroughly demonstrated the urgent need to detect hostile drones that continuously evolve in capability. And NPS is helping to harvest these hard-earned lessons.

“For us, it’s a question of survival,” said a special operations forces colonel, who serves in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is also earning a master’s degree in defense analysis from NPS. “So, we’re more than motivated to create the most efficient and effective weapons and counter-weapons to use against enemies as soon as possible and as cheaply as possible.

“Every time I watch or read the news about a missile attack or drone attack or mixed attack, it’s so hard,” the Ukrainian colonel added.

But all of the Ukrainians understand the vital importance of their advanced education at NPS — to share what they know and what they are learning. It’s a force multiplier and will allow them to make bigger contributions to Ukraine’s defense once they return. “One thought that actually warms and encourages me is this education. Sharing our experiences. Thinking more strategically. It will help me execute my mission much better,” he said.

During the Ukrainian colonel’s studies, he joined over 80 other NPS officer-scholars — from the U.S. and across the globe — and faculty from the defense analysis and information sciences departments to observe NPS’ Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX) exercise held in August. It’s here where he encountered the BOMA team from NPS testing their c-UAS system in collaboration with other experimenters and industry partners. He and his countrymen had insight to share.

Former NPS provost Scott Gartner is now a professor teaching for the NPS Department of Defense Analysis. He was responsible for organizing the large student and faculty group visit to JIFX because he understands its importance.

“JIFX captures what’s really special about NPS. It’s a collaboration of students, faculty, military, industry, government, and leaders from all over — just like NPS,” said Gartner. “I think that kind of collaboration is critical. It’s applied and working to accomplish important advances, which is demonstrated by JIFX’s focus on innovation. It’s the secret sauce of NPS.”

Bold Machina Design Challenge

SOF combatant craft, such as FRISCs and other rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), on open water can be at high risk of drone attack because they’re exposed without cover. NATO SOFCOM identified this vulnerability as the focus of their design challenge for the 2025 BOMA exercise.

Back in January, as two NPS officer-scholars worked toward their graduate degrees, they faced the seemingly impossible while enrolled in a special directed study course that covered this BOMA design challenge.

The course was a 90-day sprint study that tasked them “to understand the unique c-UAS challenges posed to maritime SOF combatant craft and propose next steps to close an existing capability gap.”

U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Max Leutermann, an engineering duty officer studying system engineering, and Swedish Armed Forces Maj. Patrik Liljegard, a special forces officer studying defense analysis, eagerly accepted the challenge. They brought over 35 years of military service together, and their multidisciplinary experience proved invaluable to finding a solution.

“The ability for NPS to bring together defense subject matter experts, industry partners, and operationally experienced officer-scholars was recognized by NATO Allied SOFCOM as a unique opportunity to develop innovative solutions to a real-world problem,” said Kevin Smith, the lead and principal investigator for the BOMA effort at NPS. “This partnership not only advanced warfighting capability, but also greatly enriched the educational experience of all of the students involved.”

Liljegard and Smith presented the proposal to NATO Allied SOFCOM in Poland last April, where it was approved and additional funding for them to build a prototype was provided. But they still needed a lot of help to turn their proposed solution into reality. So, by forming partnerships across industry, they found the resources and expertise able to assist them.

“NATO required us to create a system that was passive so that operators who were on a small boat wouldn’t give off any sort of detectable signatures or emissions,” said Leutermann, who served as a submariner for years. “We spent the beginning of the year figuring out solutions. Now, we started figuring out how to build it and who to build it with.”

Testing Counter-UAV Prototype at JIFX

Temperatures in August frequently climbed to over 100 degrees at NPS’ JIFX, which is held quarterly in southern Monterey County at Camp Roberts. The scorching, dry, and dusty inland terrain did not exactly mimic the conditions likely faced during a SOF mission aboard a FRISC silently cruising along the coast of northern Europe. Instead, the harshness at JIFX in summertime provided benefits in other ways.

It was this environment that enabled the c-UAS team to shake out their prototype while navigating unexpected challenges as they pushed the system beyond its limits. They needed to complete this rigorous testing in time for BOMA.

“We had a very tight timeline,” said Leutermann. But he and Liljegard had been thinking ahead. They attended the JIFX exercises earlier in February and May as observers to learn how to best take advantage of the August exercise.

“After we built a mockup, we took it to JIFX to test and prove its functionality. Our goal was to detect drones. Eventually, the system will go on a RHIB for BOMA. But we first strapped the system into the back of my pickup truck and used it like a land boat.”

Their c-UAS system tied together four subsystems: — Multiple independent sensor platforms, which are customizable to the requirements and resources of the operators. — The Tactical Hybrid Operational Router (THOR), which provide the power and network to the hardware. — The Operational Data Integration Node (ODIN), which is an AI-driven, sensor fusion engine. — The navigation display, which overlays the drone detection data from the sensors on the graphical user interface for the operators.

“While companies and other NPS students at JIFX flew their drones all around, we tried to detect them,” Leutermann continued. “Different types of drones at different altitudes, distances, directions, angles of attack, and all of that. Our second goal at JIFX was processing what we detected and representing it on the navigation display.”

The sensor platforms used by the system included: short-range acoustic and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) from Mara; direction-finding radio frequency (RF) from DroneShield; broad-spectrum RF from Silvus Technologies; long-range EO/IR from Trakka Systems; and low probability of intercept/detection radar from DspNor.

To counter evolving drone design and adversary tactics, AI from an Nvidia Jetson developer kit drives the c-UAS system by fusing the multi-sensor data, refining real-time UAS detection models, and updating threat libraries. The operators receive the output on a SeaCross navigation display, giving them the detected drone’s bearing, range, altitude, orientation, and identification.

Their system combined sensors and hardware from seven different companies in Australia, Norway, Sweden, and the U.S. Together, these industrial partners provided the sensing, compute, and interface capability the team needed to succeed.

Not all the system’s sensor platforms were in place or ready for evaluation during JIFX, and building of the THOR and ODIN subsystems was ongoing. However, there was still much to learn, and the team spent the days at JIFX driving around the base in their “land boat” detecting drones.

Mounted on a mast attached to the pickup bed of the “land boat,” the Mara sensor platform caught the attention of the NPS students from Ukraine.

Mara’s CTO and co-founder Sriram Raghu explained, “They had great questions, like can our system detect against low altitude flights? What about resilience against fiberoptic drones? What kind of sensors are we using to do different kinds of detection? These questions were helpful to hear from them because they were very aware of the limitations of the different sensors.

“Our system uses a combination of sensors because the behavior of individual sensor types can vary under certain conditions. For instance, on a really hot, sunny day like today, drones light up against the sky on a thermal camera. But against the ground they don’t. Similar things happen with microphone signatures. If drones fly at certain speeds and their motors spin certain ways, they can trick the microphones. So, lots of good insight from them.”

Also attending JIFX were other teams from NPS conducting electronic warfare (EW) studies and operating drones. Like pilots who fly crewed aircraft, certified remote drone operators must stay in practice by flying regularly. So, JIFX provides an outstanding opportunity for them to keep current with flight hours by not only flying drones for their field tests but also assisting in-need experimenters who don’t have their own drones and operators. This collaboration is a very big win-win.

“JIFX not only provides our EW team with the opportunity to perform live RF hardware experimentation in the field, but it allows us to gain valuable ‘stick time’ in order to maintain small-UAS flight proficiency,” said Lt. Cmdr. Calvin Sessions, an electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. student from NPS’ Radar and Electronic Warfare Laboratory and a certified remote drone operator. “In addition to flying for our own investigations, JIFX is an excellent networking event, and we’re happy to collaborate with fellow engineers and researchers.”

“The BOMA team was one of our collaborations that our team worked with going into the event. During JIFX, they told us where to fly as they recorded their data. After the event, we provided their team with the actual flight track data pulled from our system to assist in their analysis. It was a pleasure to give them the support that they needed for their research, and it helped us out, too.”

Leutermann and Liljegard benefitted from working together with others at JIFX as well. Without the exceptionally collaborative environment at JIFX, it would have been impossible for them to fully integrate the hardware and software of their c-UAS system’s multiple sensor platforms.

The intense testing under field conditions that they were able to achieve greatly expanded their understanding of how the system would operate best, which allowed them to better optimize its functionality in preparation to execute during the BOMA exercise.

NATO Special Operations Forces Command’s BOMA 2025

In a matter of months, Leutermann and Liljegard had developed, built, tested, and prepared a prototype of their c-UAS system for sea trials during BOMA by the Dutch Navy from the port city of Den Helder, Netherlands. However, this did not mean the system was complete and fully functional.

“Our system is a system of systems,” said Liljegard, who has made over 10 global deployments with the Försvarsmakten or Swedish Armed Forces. “It was not fully integrated and fully operational before going to BOMA due to the timeline and the unavailability of some of the sensors we planned to use.”

During the first days of BOMA, sensors and equipment were still arriving and had to be connected. The team assembled and integrated hardware and software that they had never used before. But the multinational industry partners that joined them at BOMA stepped up in a big way.

“The great thing is how far we reached in such a short timespan with the NPS team and the industry partners, who all worked together,” added Liljegard. “If one of the companies lacked something, then another company shared its resources. It was fantastic to see everybody work toward the same goal of completing the system.”

Still, having to complete the prototype system while at BOMA was a delay that ate up valuable sea trials time. Once ready, the team deployed aboard a FRISC several kilometers offshore and waited for contacts. Four different types of class 1 drones launched at them—ordinary RF controlled, modified RF controlled, fiberoptic, and autonomous.

“We were able to put all the sensors on the boat, power them up, connect them to the fusion engine, funnel all the detection data through the fusion engine and the database, and then populate it all on the SeaCross display,” Liljegard said of the engagements.

As the FRISC maneuvered, the team watched the drones track on the navigation display in real time. For some drones, Leutermann and Liljegard not only tracked the drones themselves for the entire time in the air but also the drone controllers’ positions. In one case, after the third sighting of a drone not in their UAS library database, the system was able to learn it was a new type of drone, add it to the library, and alert the team that it was a threat.

“In the end, we showcased a system that integrated sensors from multiple companies into one display that operators can use,” said Leutermann. “That capability didn’t exist before. We were able to bring something new to the field.”

Despite the challenges, teammates Leutermann and Liljegard both agreed that the performance of their c-UAS system was very successful and did indeed meet the objectives set by BOMA.

Continuing the Collaboration

NATO says a critical function of the BOMA exercise is to adapt “lessons from ongoing conflicts, transforming today’s battlefield realities into tomorrow’s maritime SOF capabilities.” The collaboration with NPS was so productive that NATO SOFCOM is supporting another 90-day sprint study this winter to explore unique needs in underwater communications, command, and control.

Applying lessons from the war in Ukraine was especially relevant. So, members of the Ukrainian Special Operations Forces participated in the BOMA exercise. While in attendance, they had also visited with the NPS c-UAS team. As Ukrainians also did during JIFX at NPS, they provided insightful feedback to help further advance the development of the system.

The success of the c-UAS system at BOMA could not have been accomplished without the prototype experiments run at NPS’ JIFX exercise in August. For decades, JIFX and its predecessor programs have enabled the rapid development of innovative technology—drones, lasers, AI, additive manufacturing, and much more—vital to meeting national and global security challenges.

“The war in Ukraine has made one point unmistakable: defense innovation must move much faster,” said Aleksandar Matovski, an expert on Russian and European security at NPS’ Institute for Regional and International Security (IRIS).

“New technologies such as the one c-UAS team demonstrated at the BOMA exercise in the Netherlands must be built and fielded at speed to close critical gaps, and existing systems updated almost daily to outpace adversaries who are learning and adjusting rapidly,” Matovski continued. “NPS is uniquely positioned to accelerate these efforts, drawing on its deep academic expertise, officer-scholars with operational experience, strong industry ties, and long-standing programs such as JIFX.”

NPS, located in Monterey, California, provides defense-focused graduate education, including classified studies and interdisciplinary research, to advance the operational effectiveness, technological leadership, and warfighting advantage of the naval service. Established in 1909, NPS offers master’s and doctorate programs to Department of War military and civilians, along with international partners, to deliver transformative solutions and innovative leaders through advanced education and research.

Story by Daniel Linehan
NATO photos by Deacon Westervelt

Posted in C-UAS, Guest Post, Maritime, Navy | No Comments »

JIATF-401 Marks 100 Days of Counter-Drone Operations, Highlighting Early Successes and Rapid Innovation

Monday, January 5th, 2026

WASHINGTON — The Joint Interagency Task Force-401 established as the Department of War’s premier organization for countering small unmanned aerial systems marked its 100th day of operations earlier this month. The task force was created to consolidate resources and deliver affordable counter-drone capabilities to protect U.S. personnel and facilities at home and abroad.

“From day one, our mission has been to move with speed and purpose to keep pace with this evolving threat,” said Director of JIATF-401 Brig. Gen. Matt Ross. “I am incredibly proud of the men and women of JIATF-401. In just over three months, they have demonstrated our ability to rapidly integrate across the department and within the interagency, deploy counter-drone capabilities, and enhance protections for our forces overseas and on our own southern border.”

In its first 100 days, JIATF-401 successfully transitioned the counter-sUAS mission from a community of interest to a community of action. The task force is delivering tangible capabilities, streamlining policy, and building the whole-of-government coalition required to counter the evolving sUAS threat to the homeland and U.S. forces abroad.

Line of Effort 1: Defend the Homeland

JIATF-401 has taken decisive action to defend the homeland by strengthening defenses against sUAS threats. In addition to delivering state-of-the-art counter-sUAS equipment, JIATF-401 is revamping policy and expanding authorities to defend troops and defense-critical infrastructure.

“Countering drones in the homeland is not just a technology problem,” Ross said. “Our greatest challenge is having trained people, the right policy, and the right process.”

New guidance to commanders consolidated all Department of War counter-sUAS policies into a single document, providing clarity to installations about their authority to engage drone threats in and around their perimeters.

Through the Replicator 2 initiative, JIATF-401 developed a prioritized list of asset locations to guide resource allocation. Site assessments were conducted at key installations to identify and address defense gaps.

Along the southern border, where thousands of drone incursions were reported last year, JIATF-401 rapidly delivered solutions to enhance air domain awareness and counter-drone capabilities.

“In less than 60 days — a process that traditionally takes two or three years — JIATF-401 assessed and validated capability gaps on the southern border and translated them into the Joint Task Force-Southern Border requirements document vetted through U.S. Northern Command and the services,” said Maj. Anthony Padalino, JIATF-401 response team member. “With director approval already secured, we are driving toward an initial delivery of approximately $18 million in counter-sUAS capability to the border in January 2026.”

In the National Capital Region, the task force has been instrumental in coordinating with interagency partners to improve the region’s integrated air defense.

“Our goal is to integrate sensors, effectors, and mission command systems into a responsive, interoperable network that protects service members and American citizens alike,” Ross said. “Countering drones is not just a battlefield problem — it’s a homeland defense imperative.”

Line of Effort 2: Support Warfighter Lethality

JIATF-401 is committed to equipping warfighters with the most effective counter-drone technologies and tactics. Operation Clear Horizon assessed current counter-sUAS systems and identified the need for an enterprise-wide mission command system.

The task force is also fostering rapid technological advancement through a digital marketplace for vetted counter-sUAS solutions and actively supports testing events to drive procurement of the latest capabilities, such as low-collateral defeat systems.

Line of Effort 3: Joint Force Training

JIATF-401 is leading the charge to build a unified defense against sUAS. The task force hosted a summit that brought together more than 50 federal agencies to align efforts and close policy gaps.

“Countering drones is a team sport,” Ross said. “We have to work together, share information, and leverage each other’s strengths if we’re going to stay ahead of this threat.”

This collaborative spirit extends to training. The task force assumed oversight of the Joint Counter-sUAS University at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and partners with the FBI to support its National Counter-sUAS Training Center, preparing law enforcement for events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“Lots of people talk about the risk of action. I want to think about the risk of inaction,” Ross said. “What might happen to the American public if we don’t come together to solve counter-sUAS problems?”

Looking Ahead

JIATF-401 is focused on expanding its authorities to protect all Department of War facilities and fielding new capabilities to high-priority sites.

“When our agencies work together, there is no challenge we cannot meet,” Ross said.

U.S. Army Public Affairs

Posted in Army, C-UAS, Guest Post | 1 Comment »

DroneShield Secures $8.2 Million Contract Supporting Western Military Operations

Thursday, January 1st, 2026

DroneShield has received a contract totaling $8.2m for a western military end-customer.
This hardware is on-the-shelf with delivery expected to be completed prior to 2025 year end or in early Q1 2026, and payment expected in Q1 2026.

30 December 2025 – DroneShield (ASX:DRO), a global leader in counter-drone technology, today announced it has secured an $8.2 million contract to supply counter-drone capabilities to a Western military end customer through an in-country reseller.

The contract, placed through an in-country reseller, includes handheld counter-drone systems, associated accessories and spare kits, and ongoing software updates. The reseller is a wholly owned subsidiary of a global, publicly listed defense and technology organization responsible for distribution to the military customer within the region.

The award builds on a long-standing relationship between DroneShield and the reseller, with multiple programs supported over the past seven years. The continued engagement reflects DroneShield’s ability to deliver reliable, field-ready counter-drone solutions that can be deployed quickly and integrated into existing force structures.

Image: DroneShield RfPatrol Mk2

Handheld counter-drone systems remain a critical capability for modern military operations, particularly for dismounted units operating in dynamic and contested environments. These solutions provide immediate situational awareness, identification, and protection against uncrewed aerial threats, supporting force survivability and operational freedom across a wide range of mission profiles.

The contract also highlights broader trends shaping military procurement, including the need for scalable counter-drone solutions, accelerated delivery timelines, and technologies that can adapt to rapidly evolving threat environments.

As DroneShield enters 2026, the company continues to see strong global momentum across defense and security markets, driven by increased focus on airspace protection, layered counter-drone architectures, and the growing role of unmanned systems in modern conflict.

Posted in C-UAS, Press Release | No Comments »

Interagency Senior Leaders Discuss Tactics on Advancing Counter UAS Efforts

Wednesday, December 31st, 2025

Joint interagency and law enforcement senior leaders met to establish a shared understanding of counter-small unmanned aerial system threat detection and mitigation best practices during a law enforcement symposium hosted by the Joint Task Force National Capital Region at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia, Dec. 11.

The joint task force, in partnership with Joint Interagency Task Force 401, used lessons learned from a recent counter-small UAS exercise held at Fort McNair, Washington, to bridge knowledge gaps and strengthen partnerships.&

The symposium brought together leaders from the War Department, civilian law enforcement and World Cup host cities to discuss counter-small UAS capabilities and limitations, as well as optimizing resource sharing and procurement.

“The goal of the day is to be able to share the lessons learned from our recent threat simulation exercise and work together to strengthen the law enforcement correlation, as required for high-profile events that are on the horizon,” said Army Brig. Gen. Antoinette Gant, joint task force commanding general.

The joint task force remains committed to leading these efforts in the National Capital Region to ensure collaboration that is necessary to evolving and increased security challenges, Gant said.

“We must leverage the insights we gained today to enhance our small UAS capabilities and our operational readiness as we continue to break down barriers internally and externally to the military and interagency, state and local law enforcement partners,” the general said.

The increased use of small UAS, or drones, presents a rapidly evolving threat landscape that requires a coordinated approach and cooperation across all government agencies to effectively address everything from detection and tracking to mitigation and neutralization.

“The problem with a drone is it is completely indifferent to land boundaries, it’s completely indifferent to where federal property becomes state property, becomes a local monitor area, and the violence that can be inflicted is nearly limitless because of the low price,” said Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll. “From the Army perspective, now is the time we have to [take on this challenge], we have to do it together.”

Effective counter-small UAS threat mitigation requires real-time information sharing between federal, state and local entities, and establishing clear command and control structures during incidents. This was expertly demonstrated in the recent exercise at Fort McNair, where the joint task force worked with local law enforcement to detect and mitigate simulated small UAS threats.

“It’s not a matter of if, but when we’ll have to exercise our counter drone defenses,” said Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, Joint Interagency Task Force 401 director. “We all share the same sense of urgency to keep pace with this growing threat, and I believe that collectively in this room, we’ve got the resources, and the expertise to keep the public safe. Nothing is more important than the homeland, our people, our first responders, and supporting warfighters both at home and abroad.”

By Army SGT Tien-Dat Ngo, Defense Media Activity

Posted in C-UAS, Guest Post | Comments Off on Interagency Senior Leaders Discuss Tactics on Advancing Counter UAS Efforts

DroneShield Secures $6.2M Asia Pacific Contract

Friday, December 26th, 2025

Image: DroneShield DroneSentry-X Mk2 as part of NATO Exercise Bold Machina 25 in the Netherlands

DroneShield has received a $6.2 million contract for an Asia Pacific military end-customer.

Delivery and cash payment is expected in 2026.

DroneShield Limited (ASX:DRO) (DroneShield of the Company) is pleased to announce it has received a standalone contract for $6.2 million from an in-country reseller for delivery to a military end-customer in an Asia Pacific country. The reseller is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a multi-billion dollar, global, publicly listed customer that is contractually required to distribute solutions to a major Asia Pacific military government department. The solutions include selected 3rd party hardware, interoperable with DroneShield’s command-and-control software platform, DroneSentry-C2. DroneShield expects to complete the delivery and receive payment in 2026.

Posted in C-UAS, Contracts, International, Press Release | No Comments »

AV Delivers JLTV-Mounted LOCUST Laser Weapon Systems to US Army

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025

ARLINGTON, Va., December 18, 2025 –AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) (NASDAQ: AVAV), a leading provider of counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) technologies, today announced the successful delivery of two Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)-mounted mobile C-UAS Laser Weapon Systems (LWS) to the U.S. Army as part of the second increment of the Army Multi-Purpose High Energy Laser (AMP-HEL) prototyping effort. These systems were delivered to the Army’s Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO), now integrated into the Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires, reflecting the Army’s ongoing transformation and acquisition reform efforts.

In September, AV announced delivery of the first increment of AMP-HEL prototype systems–two LOCUST LWS integrated on the General Motors Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) platform. This second-increment system on the Oshkosh JLTV platform features the same 20kW-class LOCUST LWS with a larger aperture beam director, improving lethality performance.

“AV continues to deliver proven, efficient, modular laser weapon systems that perform and protect in real-world threat environments,” said Mary Clum, President, Space, Cyber & Directed Energy for AV. “Integrated as part of these AMP-HEL systems, LOCUST is a cost-effective, rugged, precise, and scalable solution that is addressing the ever-evolving UAS threats our warfighters are facing on frontlines today. With the technology proven, we remain focused on advancing capabilities while scaling manufacturing to meet the growing demand.”

AV delivered its first LOCUST LWS to RCCTO as part of the Palletized-High Energy Laser (P-HEL) program in 2022. With more than three years of operational deployment outside the United States, these state-of-the-art LWS have demonstrated exceedingly high operational availability rates for prototype systems after first generation lessons learned informed necessary improvements now supporting current technology development efforts. During these deployments, the LOCUST-equipped P-HEL systems, now integrated on AMP-HEL, have performed their designed mission against UAS threats in real world combat.

“Directed energy is no longer a future concept—it is a proven force-protection capability,” said John Garrity, Vice President of AV’S Directed Energy business unit. “Since deployed, LOCUST-equipped P-HEL systems have actively protected warfighters, allies, and critical infrastructure against aerial threats. With LOCUST’s target acquisition, tracking and precision beam control, warfighters have an easy-to-use, reliable, trusted, and proven solution against the very real and evolving threats of modern warfare.”

Designed to be platform-agnostic and rapidly deployable, AV’s directed-energy systems integrate seamlessly with Army command-and-control architectures, providing a critical C-UAS capability that protects Soldiers and assets across a wide range of missions and environments. These systems have been successfully integrated in fixed-site base defense systems and on maneuverable platforms, including the ISV and JLTV, and mounted on the Light Medium Tactical Vehicle for increased mobility.

www.avinc.com

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US Marine Corps Fields MADIS to 1st LAAD

Monday, December 22nd, 2025

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII – The U.S. Marine Corps took a major step forward with a state-of-the-art system designed for short-range detection, tracking and engagement of aerial threats. On Dec. 12, 2025, Program Executive Office Land Systems fielded two Marine Air Defense Integrated Systems (MADIS) to 1st Low Altitude Air Defense (LAAD) Battalion, Marine Air Control Group 18, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW). The fielding of these systems marks a pivotal step in enhancing expeditionary defense capabilities within the Indo-Pacific region.

The MADIS consists of two Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), one focused on detection and the other oriented toward offensive action. Working together, they form a maneuverable ground-based air defense weapon system designed to defeat unmanned aircraft systems and manned fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft threats while on the move and at the halt.

The full-rate production configuration of the MADIS employs a powerful combination of 30mm cannons, Stinger missiles and multifunctional electronic warfare equipment. The 360-degree threat detection and protection allow the system to simultaneously engage and neutralize threats with both kinetic and non-kinetic forces.

“These systems will increase capabilities of counter-unmanned aircraft systems operations and provide automatic target recognition and weapon assignment to decrease engagement times and reduce the cognitive load on the Marine operator,” said Lt. Col. Mike Billings, product manager for Future Weapons Systems at PM Ground Based Air Defense. “The next step is to deliver the full rate production MADIS to all low altitude air defense battalions and littoral anti-air battalions across the Marine Corps, at a rapid rate.”

Since the reactivation of 1st LAAD Battalion in 2023, the unit has consistently advanced the U.S. Marine Corps’ force design initiatives. Key milestones include the activation of Firing Battery Alpha in August 2024 and Firing Battery Mike in December 2025. Most notably, the successful fielding of MADIS units, today, marks a pivotal step forward.

“Owning these systems gives us direct control capability,” said Master Gunnery Sgt. Mario Guadarrama, battalion operations chief for 1st LAAD Battalion. “Reducing the gap between training and combat employment allows seamless integration with partners and allies throughout the Indo-Pacific region.”

Fielding the MADIS directly to 1st LAAD Battalion significantly enhances expeditionary ground-based air defense capabilities in support of 1st MAW. The primary mission of 1st LAAD Battalion is to provide close-in, low-altitude, surface-to-air weapon capabilities, and the MADIS is a strategic step forward for the battalion.

Story by 2nd Lt. Joseph Adcock, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing

Posted in C-UAS, Guest Post, USMC | No Comments »

Rheinmetall Successfully Demonstrates Drone Defence Capabilities in Finland

Thursday, December 18th, 2025

Rheinmetall successfully demonstrated its capabilities in counter measures against small unmanned aerial systems (c-sUAS) at the Ground-based Air Defence (GBAD) Demo Days at the firing range in Lohtaja, Finland. Representatives of Rheinmetall Air Defence AG were invited to participate by the Inspector of Air Defence of the Finnish Armed Forces.

Despite challenging climatic conditions in a remote forest area, Rheinmetall impressed with a powerful and professional demonstration. The demonstrated threats, ranging from jet drones to small quadcopters, as well as the frictionless cooperation with the organiser XD Solution and the Finnish Armed Forces underlined the operational readiness of the technologies on display. The main focus of the performance was on the detection, classification and tracking of a wide variety of drones in different airspaces and at different flight speeds.

At the core of the presentation was Skyspotter, Rheinmetall’s multi-sensory early warning and reconnaissance system for detecting, classifying and tracking airborne threats. Skyspotter is designed to protect critical infrastructure and secure large areas against drone attacks. The system features an open architecture that allows the integration of different sensors and effectors depending on the threat level. In close cooperation with employees of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH, a rapidly deployable version of the Skyspotter system based on the Rheinmetall HX Truck was presented on site. This underscores the flexibility of the system architecture as well as the capabilities of the corporation.

During the demonstration, Rheinmetall presented an integrated overall system consisting of the Skyspotter, several dislocated Passive Emitter Locator sensors and a rapidly deployable, specialised C2 shelter. This ensures optimum command and control capability at a safe distance from active components and increases the protection of operating personnel.

Skyspotter can combat directional jammers, interceptor drones and the highly flexible Revolver Gun 30mm, which is currently in the conceptional phase. It uses individually programmable KETF ammunition (kinetic energy time fuze), which acts solely with kinetic energy (so-called impact ammunition).

“The GBAD Demo Days 2025 have impressively highlighted the importance of partnership-based cooperation in the further development of modern air defence capabilities. We would like to thank the Finnish Armed Forces for the invitation and the excellent cooperation, as well as our industry partners and our Finnish partner Oy Telva. Their commitment and expertise have contributed significantly to successfully demonstrating the performance of our systems under realistic conditions”, explains Oliver Dürr, Head of the Electronic Solutions Division.

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