All articles tagged with #counter drone technology
Europe's drone industry is experiencing growth as NATO and European countries ramp up efforts to counter increasing drone threats, especially following recent drone incursions into NATO airspace and the Ukraine conflict, leading to heightened demand for anti-drone technology and systems.
The era of drone supremacy in warfare has ended due to the rapid development of effective counter-drone systems, including high-power lasers and AI-enabled swarms, which have mitigated their battlefield dominance, although drones still play a significant role in modern conflicts like Ukraine.
Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian airfields have exposed significant vulnerabilities in US military air bases, prompting calls for increased investment in counter-drone defenses and hardened infrastructure, especially in the Pacific where US bases are within range of Chinese missile arsenals. The attacks serve as a wake-up call for the US to reassess its defense strategies against inexpensive yet effective uncrewed systems.
The Pentagon's Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, Bill LaPlante, has emphasized the urgent need for counter-drone technology, comparing it to the demand for 155mm artillery shells in conflict zones like Ukraine and Gaza. The Defense Department is pushing for advanced capabilities in response to the increasing use of drones against U.S. forces. LaPlante highlighted the importance of ramping up production capacity and funding for counter-UAS systems, stating that the industrial base must be able to produce them at high numbers. However, the Pentagon has yet to determine the exact quantity required, and the lack of a full-year appropriation passed by Congress may hinder production increases.
The US has included 10 mobile c-UAS laser-guided rocket systems in its latest military aid package to Ukraine, worth around $2.6 billion, to counter ongoing Russian drone attacks. The c-UAS laser-guided rocket systems will enable Ukraine to fire precision rockets from mobile positions and will form part of a layered defense against drones. The precision-guided rockets can be effective against both air and ground targets, becoming especially valuable when facing wave after wave of drones. The US has previously provided a counter-unmanned aerial system known as the VAMPIRE to Ukraine, which uses small missiles to shoot UAVs out of the sky.