Counter-sUAS Passive Detection, Tracking, and Kinetic Kill for Contingency Response Force

The proliferation of weaponized small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) is an asymmetric threat to Department of the Air Force (DAF) forces during Agile Combat Employment (ACE) operations.  Especially concerning is the ability of near-peer threats to conduct “Drone in a Box” swarm operations against US forces.  Contingency Response Forces (CRF) lack the equipment to detect and neutralize sUAS threats during expeditionary airfield operations.  Current Counter-sUAS (C-sUAS) systems are oriented towards garrison settings and not towards expeditionary CRF airfield operations.  In addition, most existing systems do not include a low collateral damage kinetic effector component to defeat fiber optic and autonomous AI driven sUAS airframes.  The proposed WATCHDOG C-sUAS system directly addresses the Air National Guard’s WEPTAC validated Critical Capabilities gap: “The Contingency Response Force (CRF) lacks the ability to properly secure airfield locations due to the lack of a modernized airfield security detection system and counter small unmanned aircraft system (C-sUAS) kit during wartime situations.”     Trident Sensing will rapidly develop WATCHDOG to meet the CRF’s C-sUAS capability gap.  Existing company commercial solutions will be integrated to produce an austere drone detect and kill system.  WATCHDOG focuses on passive detection and tracking through EO, IR, RF and acoustic means.  Passive sensing allows the system to operate through all levels of Emissions Control (EMCON).  The tube launched PITBULL Low Collateral Effect Interceptor (LCEI) kill vehicle is included to defeat emerging sUAS threats driven manually through an un-jammable fiber optic link or employing AI to navigate and target without an external RF link.  The all-electric kinetic defeat system will operate similar to a Stinger missile out to more than 2KM but without a hazardous rocket motor or warhead.  PITBULL kill vehicles will come pre-packaged in a self-contained tube to enable rapid reloading.  WATCHDOG systems will include detect and track nodes and up to 10 4-round launchers.  Each WATCHDOG launcher will be a node in the detection, tracking and defeat network.  The CRF will “own” the system, but every Airman participating in ACE operations will be able to grab a PITBULL launcher and be part of the counter-swarm solution.  All components will be capable of data sharing across existing CRF Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) situational awareness hardware and software ecosystem.  Growth capabilities include networking launchers to accept cueing from existing garrison style C-sUAS systems.  A well-resourced and fast-paced Phase II development effort will culminate with the production of two prototypes to support End-User evaluations.