US Army Orders Counter-Drone Systems for 'Urgent Operational Need'

US defense firm Syracuse Research Corporation (SRC) received a $65 million US Army contract for up to 15 unmanned aerial system (UAS) systems to identify and counter hostile unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones, the Department of Defense said in a press release.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Defense Department identified the UAS defeat system as a counter-unmanned aerial system solution required to meet the mission requirements of what it described as an “urgent operational need.”

“Syracuse Research Corporation [of] North Syracuse, New York, was awarded a $65 million… contract for development, production… and sustainment of up to 15 sets of the low slow small unmanned aerial system integrated defeat system,” the release stated on Tuesday.

Work on the contract will be performed over the next year with an estimated completion date of January 30, 2018, the announcement added.

SRC’s anti-drone defense technology detects, tracks, classifies, identifies and engages hostile UAS threats, electronically disrupts individual UAS or swarms and complements kinetic weapon systems for layered defense, according to the company’s web site.