Heading into a big year for counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) technology, the US Army is looking for another piece of equipment especially for its individual troops, according to a new solicitation.
The technology, which officials are calling Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Soldier Common Solutions, could be handheld, wearable, or dismounted as long as it provides self-protection that is specialist-agnostic, an 18 December sources sought notice said. The request comes as C-UAS has become the army's top modernisation focus after tensions in the Middle East have escalated.
“Potentially, every squad, soldier, and unit will require the ability to detect and defeat small UAS, and this will require common equipment across every army formation at the soldier level,” according to the solicitation.
The solicitation is in line with recent trends in C-UAS. It asks for electronic warfare effectors or augmentation for weapon options. The US Marine Corps is also looking for dismounted technology under an urgent materiel release and is hoping to get similar capability in the hands of marines by the end of boreal summer 2025.
Soldiers should be able to defend a “squad-sized element” using non-kinetic means, which is listed around 5 km. Kinetic defeat solutions are “considered [the] last line of defence”, according to the solicitation.
The solutions should also be operable by only one soldier and not interfere with their ability to use their primary weapon.
While specifications for weight and size are not listed, the service is looking for solutions that would reduce burden on soldiers. For example, the optics technology should be a modification on a weapon in service with the army.
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