UK technology firm MARSS has been awarded a £370m ($489m) contract to deliver a nationwide counter-drone defence system in Kuwait.
The agreement will see MARSS act as both prime contractor and systems integrator, providing layered protection against airborne and maritime drone threats.
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Under the contract, MARSS will rapidly deploy a cellular network of sensors linked to its NiDAR command and control system, which uses artificial intelligence to deliver surveillance and threat assessment.
The system integrates electro-optical, radar, and sonar sensors across multiple sites, feeding real-time data into centralised command centres.
NiDAR fuses this data to create actionable intelligence, designed to enable quick and appropriate responses to potential threats.
The system will provide hemispherical coverage, targeting both aerial and seaborne drone incursions. It will include initial deliveries of both hard-kill interceptors and soft-kill jammers to give operators a range of defeat options.
According to MARSS, the AI capabilities of NiDAR are intended to shorten the time from detection to defeat by classifying threats automatically and recommending response actions, thereby easing the workload for operators.
The company stated that the new contract builds upon existing deployments of NiDAR systems in the Gulf region, which have operated throughout recent periods of crisis.
The latest agreement will expand the approach to a country-wide scale within Kuwait.
MARSS CEO Johannes Pinl said: “Countering drones and aerial threats is not about any single system. It is about an intelligent, layered architecture that detects, decides and defeats within seconds, and MARSS has built exactly that.
“Over the coming 24 months, MARSS will integrate the sensors and effectors that protect Kuwait’s people, critical infrastructure and national assets, backed by British engineering and new skilled jobs here in the UK.”
Delivery is scheduled to be phased over 24 months and accompanied by a training programme for local operators.
MARSS will provide instruction on using the sensors, effectors, and the NiDAR platform, with a team based in Kuwait to support the rollout.
The contract is also expected to create around 100 skilled jobs in the UK, spanning MARSS and its domestic supply chain.
Some manufacturing will take place in Bristol, and MARSS plans to expand its UK offices in support of the project.
The agreement is one of the largest publicised under the UK Government’s Taskforce Sabre initiative, which brings together industry and government to accelerate security and defence cooperation with Gulf states.
Following the completion of the initial rollout, MARSS will provide ongoing integrated logistic support as part of a multi-year commitment.
