Pentagon selects 4 companies in US for counter-drone efforts — Breaking Defense

In the United States, the Pentagon has selected AeroVironment, Epirus, Kord and Boeing for a pilot program of Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401), which will test directed-energy systems for countering drones. Breaking Defense reports.

Testing in an operational environment

JIATF-401 Director Brig. Gen. Matt Ross said the program is being conducted to verify the capabilities of these systems in an operational environment. This is intended to help determine how to integrate and sustain them to protect US territory.

According to the Pentagon, the task force will implement the program in close coordination with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), US Northern Command and the military services.

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Assessing risks to aviation

JIATF-401's cooperation with the FAA follows an incident in February, when the FAA temporarily closed the airspace around El Paso airport in Texas. The reason was a misunderstanding between federal agencies regarding the use of a counter-drone laser by US Customs and Border Protection. It later emerged that the US Army had provided the laser for temporary use.

After that, JIATF-401 and the FAA conducted a risk assessment during a high-energy laser demonstration in New Mexico. The Pentagon said the system posed minimal risk to the national airspace system. The demonstration also ended with a joint agreement on a laser system to protect the southern border.

In December, JIATF-401 plans to conduct comparative tests of solutions for the pilot program. Systems that perform well may be purchased immediately, while the US Department of Defense and the task force will also evaluate other directed-energy systems.