For the first time, the Department of Defense outlined its approach for Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) during a virtual industry open house on Oct. 30.
The one-day online event informed vendors on upcoming efforts to align C-sUAS capabilities into an enduring and integrated enterprise approach. The industry open house was hosted by the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System Office (JCO) and Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO). The event will provide information regarding emerging requirements, address the multitude of C-sUAS challenges, and encourage competition and efficiencies in future technology development and procurement activities.
Prior to the industry open house, the Department of Defense expects to validate the operational capability requirements for C-sUAS, which will serve as the basis for providing a path ahead for industry demonstration, experimentation, and innovation opportunities.
“To preserve freedom of action for friendly forces, we require C-sUAS systems that can quickly and accurately detect, identify, and if necessary defeat threats without impacting legitimate sUAS users or other authorized operations,”
said MG Sean Gainey, Director of the JCO, which was established earlier this year to lead and direct efforts to identify and prioritize Joint gaps and C-sUAS solutions. The RCCTO serves as the materiel and acquisition lead in support of the JCO.
The event was open to all vendors interested in C-sUAS and will cover key aspects including strategy, training, current capabilities and operational capability requirements. The open house also outlined future acquisition approaches, “on-ramp” opportunities for industry and plans for standardized test protocols. The event ended with a question and answer session, in which subject matter experts will address questions that have been previously submitted online.
“Countering the small UAS threat is a joint team effort and we look forward to working with industry on the future materiel approach,” said LTG L. Neil Thurgood, Director of Hypersonics, Directed Energy, Space and Rapid Acquisition, which includes the RCCTO. “This open house and other industry engagement efforts helps communicate our priorities in future capability development and ensure we can leverage new and emerging technologies as quickly as possible.”
Competitors are challenging U.S. interest across all domains and geographic regions with advances in technologies such as sUAS. The JCO aims to bring a common approach to this critical capability area with the goal of joint coordinated investing in the best performance and capability mix. The JCO, RCCTO and the Services are working with industry to lay out future research, testing, and capability modernization. This will decrease overlap, increase efficiencies and provide common architectures and interfaces.
“Outpacing the C-sUAS threat requires a continuous evaluation of processes and systems, to make deliberate risk-based investment choices, and provide the Joint Force with a range of options across all C-sUAS capability domains,” Gainey said. “With a holistic approach to C-sUAS we will help ensure the Joint Force is both ready to meet today’s challenges and prepared for the future.”
Photo: Soldiers from 5th Armored Brigade, First Army Division West, developed a course of instruction to counter the threat of commercial, off-the-shelf unmanned aerial surveillance vehicles at McGregor Range Complex, N.M., last June. – Staff Sgt. Timothy Gray
Source: Press Release