Counter‑drone push heats up

Western governments are moving faster to buy and field anti-drone systems, with new U.S. Army orders, new laser approvals on the U.S.-Mexico border, and a new British interceptor buy all announced within days. (militaryaerospace.com) (militarytimes.com) (gov.uk) A counter-drone system is the air-defense equivalent of a layered security plan: sensors find a small aircraft, software tracks it, and a weapon or jammer stops it before it hits a target. The Pentagon’s own guidance says those systems can use radar, radio-frequency detection, cameras and acoustic sensors, depending on the threat and the legal setting. (media.defense.gov 1) (media.defense.gov 2) On April 9, the U.S. Army awarded Performance Drone Works of Huntsville, Alabama, a firm-fixed-price contract worth $15,259,840. The award covers 40 C100X MRD mission bundles, 80 Next Vision Raptor electro-optical and infrared sensor packages, and 17 UXV SROC ground control stations for the Army’s Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Product Office. (militaryaerospace.com) (aladefense.com) That Army order is for aircraft and sensors, not a complete anti-drone shield by itself. It shows the other side of the same procurement trend: armies want more small, modular systems that can scout, spot targets and plug into larger networks rather than wait for a single expensive program. (militaryaerospace.com) (media.defense.gov) On April 10, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Pentagon said they had signed an agreement allowing the government to use a high-energy laser counter-drone system along the southern border. Reuters reported the agreement followed Federal Aviation Administration testing in New Mexico and verification that safety controls were in place. (yahoo.com) (militarytimes.com) That approval came after airspace closures in Texas tied to the interagency dispute over whether the laser could operate safely near civil aviation. The New York Times reported the Federal Aviation Administration had twice temporarily closed airspace this year while the agencies argued over the system’s risks near airports. (nytimes.com) In Britain, the Ministry of Defence said on April 10 that it intends to buy Cambridge Aerospace’s Skyhammer interceptor and launchers for the UK armed forces and Gulf partners. The ministry said the weapon is designed to counter Shahed-style attack drones and that the first tranche is due in May, subject to contract. (gov.uk) The British statement puts numbers and timelines behind a push for domestic supply. Forces News reported Skyhammer has a stated range of more than 30 kilometers and a top speed of 700 kilometers per hour, and said hundreds of interceptors and launchers are being sent to the Middle East to protect UK and allied forces. (forcesnews.com) Cambridge Aerospace is also a very new company, which underlines how quickly this market is opening to smaller manufacturers. Companies House records show Cambridge Aerospace Limited was incorporated on September 4, 2024, and an Intellectual Property Office filing last month described its trademark coverage as including missiles and launchers for countering drones. (find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk) (ipo.gov.uk) The common thread is not one weapon but a buying pattern: cheaper interceptors, more domestic production, and more than one way to stop a drone. After two years in which Shahed attacks and cheap quadcopters reshaped air defense planning, buyers are now placing orders in weeks and months, not talking in abstractions. (gov.uk) (media.defense.gov)