Sentinel Swarms: Drone Defense for Austere Airfields

Mazer Intel proposes the development of Sentinel Swarms, an AI-driven, multi-agent small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) swarm designed to provide autonomous perimeter defense and persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) for forward-deployed airfields. This system directly addresses the Air Force’s Resilient Basing initiative by enhancing airfield security in contested, GPS- and comms-denied environments, where conventional ISR and security assets are vulnerable. The Sentinel Swarm leverages Graph-Based Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) and Graph Control Barrier Functions (GCBF+) to enable autonomous threat detection, optimized task allocation, and collision-free drone coordination. By integrating Airborne Optical Sectioning (AOS), the system achieves enhanced target tracking and occlusion penetration, providing continuous situational awareness with minimal operator input. This decentralized AI-driven swarm autonomously adjusts coverage, detects and tracks unauthorized incursions, and optimizes ISR capabilities in dynamic battle environments. Phase II will advance Sentinel Swarms from simulation to prototype field testing with the Air Mobility Command (AMC) and 621 Contingency Response Wing (CRW). The solution aligns with DoD’s Replicator Initiative and has clear transition pathways through TACFI and STRATFI funding. Beyond military applications, Sentinel Swarms have dual-use potential in critical infrastructure protection, disaster response, and industrial security, positioning Mazer Intel as a leader in autonomous perimeter defense solutions.