U.S. Army gathers 50 firms to test counter-UAS systems

More than 50 companies gathered at Fort Bragg’s Lt. Gen. James M. Gavin Joint Innovation Outpost from August 11 to 13 to test counter-drone systems ahead of Scarlet Dragon, an XVIII Airborne Corps exercise scheduled for September, XVIII Airborne Corps Public Affairs reported.

The Counter-UAS Integration and Planning Conference, hosted by XVIII Airborne Corps, brought together sensor manufacturers, command-and-control developers, communications providers and common operating picture businesses. The Corps evaluated how the companies’ systems performed individually and in combination as part of its broader defensive fires mission.

“What we wanted to look for is their capability to perform individually, as well as with each other between all of the industry partners, to provide us this capability in the future, not only for the base, but also in tactical situations,” said Maj. Anne Pham, deputy director for XVIII Airborne Corps G34 Fires and Effects.

Pham is an officer with the Royal Canadian Artillery, reflecting the allied integration built into how the Corps runs its warfighting mission.

Industry partners also traveled to the Fayetteville area for individual sensor evaluation, testing each system against representative unmanned aircraft threats.

“The goal isn’t to find one system that does everything,” said Staff Sgt. Jacob Schmall, assigned to G34 Fires, XVIII Airborne Corps. “It’s to understand how different capabilities work together and integrate the best technologies into a more complete counter-UAS architecture.”

Schmall said no single sensor can address the full range of unmanned aircraft threats, and that each technology brings different strengths and contributes different information to the broader picture.

“This evaluation helps us understand what each sensor contributes and how these capabilities complement one another,” Schmall said. “Ultimately, the goal is to combine that information into a more accurate, timely and usable airspace picture for both commanders and operators.”

The conference and sensor evaluations feed directly into Scarlet Dragon, an XVIII Airborne Corps exercise that tests new technology across the force, including counter-UAS capabilities, ahead of its September run.