US Army awards counter-drone contracts worth up to $7 billion — Breaking Defense
In Washington, the US Army announced that it had awarded contracts to ten companies for counter-drone systems with a potential total value of up to $7 billion. The procurements are being conducted under the IDIQ mechanism. Breaking Defense reports.
Sensors and command-and-control systems
The contracts are intended to support the Pentagon’s marketplace for drones and counter-drone systems, as well as the Domestic Shield program. It is aimed at protecting US military facilities and critical infrastructure from threats posed by small drones. The procurements may also be used for other federal government needs in countering unmanned aircraft systems.
Brent Ingram, the US Army’s assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology, said the contracts cover various capabilities: sensors, means of engaging drones, and command-and-control systems. According to him, this approach is intended to preserve competition among suppliers and enable the adoption of new technologies as the nature of the threat changes.
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Ten companies on the list
Base funding of $500 million was awarded to Allen Control Systems, Digital Force Technologies, DroneShield, Napatree Technology, RADA Technologies, SRC, and L3Harris WESCAM. Echodyne Corp and PVP Advanced EO Systems are allocated $250 million each, while SmartShooter Inc is allocated $150 million.
Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, commander of Joint Interagency Task Force 401, said the US Army seeks to create a layered defense capable of detecting, tracking, identifying, neutralizing, and capturing drones. Rather than a single comprehensive system, the department plans to procure several interoperable solutions to perform these tasks.
Separately, the US National Nuclear Security Administration and Joint Interagency Task Force 401 signed a memorandum of understanding to exchange data on drone-related threats. The parties will share information obtained during tests of counter-drone systems.
