All articles tagged with #counter uas
A Florida charter boat hauled up a drone near Eglin AFB that resembles a Shahed-136 clone tied to the U.S. LUCAS program. Eglin would not confirm it was the missing drone, and authorities have not disclosed details. The recovered craft, identified as FLM-136 and linked to SpecktreWorks, underscores ongoing development of low-cost, autonomous one-way attack drones and the race to improve counter-UAS capabilities.
The U.S. Army awarded AeroVironment a roughly $465 million contract for the Enduring-High Energy Laser program, marking the service’s first production order for a high‑energy laser weapon. The LOCUST X3 system, a 30 kW directed-energy counter-drone weapon, will be produced at scale with initial capabilities within a year and a ramp to dozens of units annually, deployed across multiple platforms to defeat drones from Group 1 to Group 3.
Iran’s sustained drone attacks are testing U.S. air defenses in the Middle East and prompting the Pentagon to broaden layered counter-drone defenses, combining short-range interceptors, electronic warfare, and emerging high-energy lasers. The UAE reported multiple missiles and drones launched by Iran, underscoring the cost advantage of cheaper drones over missiles and the need for scalable defenses. Systems like Merops are being deployed, and lessons from Ukraine are shaping U.S. planning as officials push to expand defensive depth across CENTCOM to protect bases and ships from mass drone waves.
The Defense Department says it used counter-UAS authorities to shoot down a U.S. Customs and Border Protection drone with a laser near Fort Hancock, Texas; a temporary FAA flight restriction was issued around the area, no commercial aircraft were affected, and lawmakers criticized the apparent lack of coordination between agencies.
The Pentagon’s new guidance for protecting critical infrastructure from drones urges passive physical defenses—such as nets, cables, and hardened openings—within a Harden-Obscure-Perimeter (HOP) framework, as part of a layered counter-UAS approach coordinated by JIATF-401. It expands authorities for base commanders and aims to protect civilian sites and large events like the World Cup, while stressing that hardening is not a silver bullet and must be paired with active defenses. The guidance also references a counter-UAS marketplace for procuring barriers and interceptors and notes evolving international trends in base protection and ongoing industry efforts.
Poland has signed a PLN 15 billion contract with a Kongsberg-PGZ consortium to develop and deploy the San counter-UAS system to defend its airspace from Russian drones; the package includes 18 anti-drone batteries, 52 firing platoons, 18 command platoons and about 703 vehicles, with initial deliveries due in 2026. Kongsberg’s share is about NOK 16 billion. The SAN program is part of a broader overhaul of Poland’s air defense alongside Narew, Pilica+ and Patriot systems, funded in part by EU SAFE loans.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Army to establish a new interagency task force, JIATF 401, to develop and rapidly deploy counter-unmanned aerial systems capabilities across the U.S. military, with significant authority and funding to outpace adversaries and address drone threats.