Leonardo DRS has been contracted to develop a counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capability to protect US Army soldiers from enemy drones.
Under the $16m contract, Leonardo will collaborate with precision control system manufacturer Moog and other industry partners to develop this capability.
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The C-UAS capability will be developed by integrating Moog’s reconfigurable integrated-weapons platform (RIwP) turret and Leonardo DRS’ mast-mounted surveillance and battlefield reconnaissance equipment (SABRE).
The RIwP turret provides commanders with more than 125 configurations, including missiles, direct-fire weapons, non-lethal deterrents, and an advanced sensor package.
The SABRE is said to improve full-spectrum reconnaissance and precision-fire targeting capabilities.
The systems will be fully integrated on two MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles to provide a mobile C-UAS designed to detect, identify, track and defeat unmanned aerial threats.
Work under the contract will be performed by Leonardo DRS’ business unit, DRS Land Systems, in St. Louis, Missouri, US.
DRS Land Systems vice-president and general manager Aaron Hankins said: “We are proud to support the army’s urgent requirement to protect soldiers from the growing threats by small unmanned aircraft.
“This effort is a great example of industry collaborating with the army to quickly provide soldiers with a crucial capability, and we are grateful for the opportunity to lead the effort.”
The contract forms a part of the army’s Mobile Low, Slow Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Integrated Defense System, Increment 1 effort.
It also supports near-term testing, which will enable the US Government to make decisions on the deployment of numerous production systems in early summer 2018, according to the statement.
