WASHINGTON — The Air Force is on the hunt for ways to defend against small drones, posting a pair of Requests for Information for industry — one to spot incoming threats and another to use “kinetic hard-kill” capabilities to take them out.
Both RFIs were published on Tuesday by the service’s recently established Point Defense Battle Lab (PDBL), which is tasked with developing counter-small unmanned aerial systems (C-sUAS) technology for base defense.
“The USAF established the PDBL to serve as a hub for collaboration, pushing boundaries in C-sUAS capabilities, ensuring the Air Force maintains tactical superiority against evolving threats, and as a key part of the service’s effort to develop and evaluate advanced technologies to defend installations from sUAS threats,” the kinetic hard-kill solicitation reads.
That RFI wants information on “rapidly deployable” systems which are capable of being set up with a team of four personnel or less in two hours or less, and is asking for information on a specific set of weapons systems including:
- Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) mid-range precision vehicle and container launchers
- Large caliber 30mm gun-based airburst/proximity close-in sustained fire
- Small caliber automated weapon stations with C-UAS fire control
- Drone on drone autonomous kinetic interceptors with AI-guided to terminal that can be 3-D printed to full size
- High-energy laser with a 2-20kW power range and has precision engagement, single target sequential with atmospheric-sensitive
- High-power microwave with a GaN solid-state, and an effective area engagement that is swarm-capable, and weather resistant
Defense against airspace incursions by small drones at homeland installations has been a problem for the armed forces for quite some time, prompting US Northern Command to update their standard operating procedures after a series of incursions last year.
The new RFIs come following recent changes to Section 130i of Title 10 of the US Code that have given more latitude to military officials to designate sites that are able to conduct C-sUAS activities.
The other RFI posted on Tuesday is focused on small drone detection and tracking. The listing seeks information to “develop and validate Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures necessary to advance C-sUAS detection, tracking, interception, and neutralization.”
A much more detailed set of parameters was listed for this RFI, with it stating that the primary focus is tracking Group 1 drones at ranges of up to 2 km (1.2 miles), and a secondary focus on tracking Groups 2 and 3 drones with a “preference towards shorter ranges.”
A potential future contract amount was not given with either RFI. Both have a deadline for submissions set for April 30.
On Wednesday, a separate RFI was posted by the Air Force seeking ideas for the other side of the equation: offensive one-way attack drones.
