Textron Wins Army Counter-Drone Contract
The U.S. Army has selected Textron's Damocles system for its LASSO program, focused on low-altitude surveillance and counter-drone missions. The choice of Damocles, known for its flexible payloads and open architecture, reinforces the Army's commitment to modular, upgradable systems that can be adapted for multiple missions.
The Army's Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program is a rapid prototyping initiative to equip Infantry Brigade Combat Teams with a portable, precision anti-armor capability. The program aims to provide dismounted soldiers a "man-in-the-loop," semi-autonomous system to engage armored threats beyond the line of sight. The Army has requested significant funding for LASSO, with a $120.6 million request in fiscal year 2025 and nearly $70 million in fiscal year 2026 to procure hundreds of units. Textron's winning Damocles system is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) loitering munition, which eliminates the need for launch or recovery equipment and reduces the logistical footprint for soldiers in the field. This contrasts with other potential LASSO solutions, which were described as tube-launched. The system can operate in GPS-denied environments and provides full-motion video feedback to the operator for human-in-the-loop control. The key lethality component of the Damocles is its GEN2 Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) warhead, designed for top-attack missions against armored vehicles, striking where armor is typically weakest. The system is built on a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), which allows for the integration of various payloads, including options for electronic warfare, to adapt to different mission requirements. Safety features are also incorporated to prevent unexploded ordnance. The LASSO program is utilizing other transaction authority (OTA) for contracting, a method designed to bypass bureaucratic hurdles and accelerate the fielding of new technologies. The initiative is part of the Army's broader Launched Effects family of systems and is managed by the Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier. Other companies, such as UVision with its Hero-90, have also been selected to participate in the program, indicating the Army is evaluating multiple systems.
