Safran Electronics & Defense and MSI-Defence Systems will jointly develop and promote counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) capabilities, integrating Safran’s optronic sights on MSI’s SEAHAWK naval and TERRAHAWK land gun systems.

The Franco-British collaboration has already secured an initial contract from a NATO European navy.

Under this contract, Safran will provide sighting systems for SEAHAWK DS30M 30 mm gun mounts aboard mine countermeasure vessels, with deliveries in 2027. Each mount will incorporate VIGEO, a version of Safran’s stabilised gunner sight adapted for maritime operations.

VIGEO is mounted directly on the gun and is designed to provide day and night target acquisition, laser ranging and fire control. It is part of a C-UAS suite including PASEO and VIGY 4. Integrated with kinetic or laser-guided effectors, these systems provide threat detection, tracking and neutralisation capabilities.

For more information

Safran Group

MSI-Defence Systems

Image: SEAHAWK DS (MSI-Defence Systems)

The Fall issue of the 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now available. The guide is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.

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Shield has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Echodyne Corp., in a transaction valued at USD 5.3 billion.

Echodyne radars are built into counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) platforms and security systems used by defence, government and commercial customers in more than 40 countries. The company’s compact, solid-state radars use its patented Metamaterials Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) technology.

In September, Echodyne received a contract with a USD 250 million ceiling from the United States’ Joint Interagency Task Force 401 to supply C-UAS radar to US and allied forces. 

Echodyne’s team will remain in place, with MESA radars remaining available as standalone products.

The Echodyne acquisition would also extend Shield’s presence in Washington. Based in Kirkland, Washington, Echodyne recently opened an 86,350-square-foot manufacturing facility, which the company says will be able to produce about 30,000 radars per year. 

Shield is raising USD 2.5 billion to support the transaction, including USD 1 billion in Series H funding at a USD 28.8 billion post-money valuation, a USD 1 billion structured equity investment from funds managed by Blackstone and USD 500 million in debt financing led by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as Sole Arranger. Of the USD 5.3 billion transaction value, USD 4.8 billion will be paid and issued at closing and up to an additional USD 500 million is contingent on Echodyne meeting agreed performance targets. 

The Series H is co-led by Disruptive and Innovation X Capital, with participation from Advent, the Strategic Investment Group of JPMorganChase’s Security and Resiliency Initiative, Snowpoint Ventures, Apandion, Center15 Capital and others. Series H proceeds will be used principally to fund the acquisition.  

The acquisition is expected to close in early 2027, subject to receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. 

For more information

Shield

Echodyne

Image: Echodyne

The Fall issue of the 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now available. The guide is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.

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NATO’s Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) announced on 5 November that it has selected 16 systems from five companies for the NATO counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) marketplace.

The marketplace, which NCIA manages, was first announced in July. It is part of NATO’s Drone Edge, which is investing over USD 40 billion in C-UAS capabilities over the next five years. Through the marketplace, Allies can procure directly from the NATO catalogue without any further tender process.

The five selected companies announced yesterday are Alta Ares, Axon Enterprise Inc., Northrop Grumman, OSL UK and Quantum Systems. The selected equipment covers a mix of static, transportable and on-the-move systems. Each company has already deployed systems in Allied countries and in Ukraine.

NCIA selected the capabilities based on the following four reference scenarios:

• The Point Protection scenario focuses on enhancing the protection of a specific high-value asset or location – such as a military installation, critical infrastructure or command post – through effective detection, tracking and response.
• The Area Protection scenario focuses on the protection of a larger geographical area up to 3km in diameter, such as an airbase, logistics hub or military installation, through coordinated sensors and countermeasures against drone threats.
• The Border Protection scenario extends monitoring and protection across a 20 km border segment through persistent surveillance, early detection, tracking and coordinated responses.
• The Convoy Protection scenario focuses on the protection of moving military convoy up to 300-meter length, travelling at speeds of up to 50 km/h, through mobile C-UAS capabilities capable of detecting, tracking and responding to threats while on the move.

The framework contracts are valid for one and a half years, with the possibility to be extended. NCIA said NATO intends to run regular competitions to ensure that the newest technologies are made available to Allies.

For more information

NCIA

The Fall issue of the 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now available. The guide is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.

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Latvian defence technology company ORIGIN and US defence technology company Anduril have demonstrated an integrated counter-uncrewed aircraft system (C-UAS) capability to senior Latvian military leadership, combining ORIGIN’s BLAZE interceptor with Anduril’s Lattice for Air Defense command-and-control platform.

The demonstration took place at a military training facility in Latvia in late October, just over a month after the companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 25 September. BLAZE operated as the interceptor within an integrated air defence configuration using Lattice alongside an existing radar system already deployed for Latvian air defence.

According to the companies, the technical integration of BLAZE into Lattice took four days. The platform connects sensors and effectors through a central command-and-control system, providing operators with a coordinated operational picture.

BLAZE is a radar-guided autonomous interceptor designed to engage aerial threats including drones and loitering munitions. It uses radar data to guide its onboard autopilot towards a target before acquiring and tracking it for interception under operator supervision.

ORIGIN and Anduril said they will continue joint testing and validation on NATO’s eastern flank, alongside developing concepts of operation for C-UAS missions.

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The US Department of War has awarded a contract worth more than USD 6.9 million to CHAOS 1, Inc., for Vanquish Prime advanced radar systems to support counter-uncrewed aircraft system (C-UAS) operations in the US Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility.

The award was made by the department’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) on 4 November. The systems will provide long-range detection and tracking of uncrewed aircraft, improving situational awareness for US forces and supporting layered air defence.

Under the contract, CHAOS 1 will deliver the radar systems to designated locations across the CENTCOM region. The award also includes training and technology to support their integration and operational use.

JIATF-401 said the acquisition forms part of its wider effort to accelerate the delivery of C-UAS capabilities based on operational requirements. The radar systems will provide a detection and tracking layer alongside other technologies used to identify and counter unmanned aircraft threats.

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Ondas has secured two multi-million-dollar counter-uncrewed aircraft system (C-UAS) contracts with government customers in Europe and Asia, covering portable drone detection and mitigation systems and autonomous drone interception technology reports the company.

The European contract, awarded by a major police organisation, covers Ondas’ portable Ranger systems, developed by its subsidiary Sentrycs. Designed for mobile security operations, Ranger provides drone detection, identification, tracking and mitigation without requiring permanent infrastructure.

In Asia, a government customer has ordered Iron Drone Raider autonomous interception systems, supplied by Ondas subsidiary Airobotics. The system is designed to physically intercept hostile drones, including those operating without active radio-frequency communications or using autonomous navigation.

The two contracts cover complementary parts of Ondas’ C-UAS portfolio, combining mobile detection and electronic mitigation with autonomous physical interception. The company did not disclose the contract values, customer identities or delivery timelines.

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Axon Vision has completed a live-fire demonstration of its ForceField counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) system in Israel for an unnamed US defence contractor, including multiple kinetic defeats of FPV drone targets.

Representatives of the US contractor travelled to Israel for the demonstration, which evaluated ForceField under operationally representative conditions. Axon Vision said the activity validated the system’s Detect-Understand-Respond cycle, from passive detection and AI-based threat classification and decision support through to kinetic defeat, with operators retaining engagement authority.

ForceField is designed to counter fibre-optic-controlled FPV drones and other aerial threats that cannot be addressed through electronic warfare. The system combines passive day-and-night detection with AI-based analysis and an integrated kinetic response, and can operate without continuous communications or reliance on external detection systems.

Axon Vision said it is working with US defence partners to adapt and integrate its technologies for future C-UAS programmes and platform requirements. A larger-scale demonstration is planned in the US later this year.

The company will also present ForceField and its other AI-powered perception and C-UAS systems at AUSA 2026 in Washington, DC, from 12-14 October.

For more information

Axon Vision

Image: Axon Vision

The September issue of the 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now available. The guide is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.

The post Axon Vision completes ForceField C-UAS live-fire demonstration first appeared on Unmanned airspace.

Ondas has launched Dronebuster REACH, a long-range variant of its Dronebuster family of non-kinetic counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) technologies, with the first system under contract for delivery to the US Office of Naval Research (ONR).

The system has completed customer acceptance testing and will be used by ONR to support C-UAS research, evaluation and test activities.

REACH uses electronic attack techniques deployed across the Dronebuster range, including command-and-control disruption and GNSS denial, with optional positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) electronic attack. Ondas said the system provides these capabilities at longer range and higher power than its handheld effectors.

REACH is designed to operate as part of a layered C-UAS architecture. It can receive cueing from Ondas’ detect, track and identify (DTI) systems and integrates with the company’s DefenseOS command-and-control software. The architecture can also support handoff to kinetic interception when a non-kinetic effect is insufficient.

Ondas said REACH expands its C-UAS portfolio, which includes Dronebuster handheld and vehicle-mounted systems, DTI detection systems, Sawtooth fixed-site protection, DefenseOS and IonStrike autonomous kinetic interceptors.

For more information

Ondas

Image: REACH by Ondas Sentinel

The September issue of the 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now available. The guide is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.

The post Ondas launches long-range Dronebuster REACH C-UAS system first appeared on Unmanned airspace.

More than 40 National Guard members from across the US have completed a 10-day counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) master operator course hosted by the Washington National Guard at Camp Murray and Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The course, held from 14-25 September, trained personnel from civil support teams, air defence artillery units and other organisations to operate the National Guard’s newly fielded mobile C-UAS systems developed by Anduril Industries.

Training covered system assembly, network configuration, sensor calibration, troubleshooting and operation of Anduril’s Lattice software for detecting and tracking unmanned aircraft. Students also worked with Wisp and Pulsar systems and a Long Range Camera Tower as part of the mobile platform.

The course combined classroom instruction, equipment assembly and five days of range operations against different unmanned aircraft and flight patterns. Students were required to build and configure the system, establish its network, calibrate the equipment and operate the software during a practical assessment before being certified as trained operators.

The National Guard said the course forms part of a broader effort to develop C-UAS expertise for homeland defence, major-event security and critical infrastructure protection. It plans to expand future iterations with additional scenarios, drone flight patterns and revised tactics, techniques and procedures.

For more information

National Guard

Image: Service members from multiple Civil Support Teams and Air Defence Artillery units participate in Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft System, or C-sUAS, training hosted by the 10th Civil Support Team, Washington National Guard, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Sept. 22, 2026 (Photo by Peter Chang). 

The September issue of the 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now available. The guide is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.

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Fortem Technologies has closed a USD50 million Series B financing round led by Lockheed Martin, with participation from Unusual Machines and other strategic and institutional investors.

Fortem said the funding will support increased production at its Lindon, Utah facility and the expansion of deployments of its SkyDome family of counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) systems. The portfolio combines TrueView radar sensors, command-and-control software and DroneHunter autonomous interceptors for detecting, tracking, classifying and defeating aerial threats.

Lockheed Martin committed USD25 million to the initial tranche of the Series B announced earlier this year. The investment also builds on the companies’ work integrating Fortem’s capabilities with Lockheed Martin’s Sanctum counter-UAS architecture.

Fortem said recent activity includes a Department of Homeland Security contract to provide C-UAS protection for venues during the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a US Army contract covering protection of installations worldwide.

In August, Fortem was also selected by the Department of Homeland Security as a prime contractor on its five-year C-UAS hardware and software contract, which has an estimated initial ceiling of USD1.011 billion.

The company said the new funding will allow it to increase manufacturing capacity and support further deployment of its C-UAS systems.

For more information

https://fortemtech.com/press-releases/2026-09-30-fortem-technologies-closes-50m-series-b-financing-led-by-lockheed-martin/

Image: SkyDome® Manager (Fortem Technologies)

The September issue of the 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now available. The guide is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.

The post Fortem Technologies closes USD50 million Series B led by Lockheed Martin first appeared on Unmanned airspace.

By Philip Butterworth-Hayes

The UK’s DroneX show has turned into a counter-UAS marketplace for Ukrainian and, surprisingly, Chinese companies.

Ukraine’s industry had the biggest and best displays – the hall was dominated by Skyfall (manufacturer of the P-1 Sun interceptor and General Cherry (which makes the Bullet interceptor), both actively exporting to Western nations. According to one Ukrainian industry official, the current life cycle for new battlefield technology developments in Ukraine, including counter-UAS systems, is four months from technology readiness level 6 to industrialisation, seven months of production and six months before obsolescence sets in.

Many front-line Ukrainian units are now suffering from drone system saturation, not just because of the huge numbers and different types now being produced but the time it takes for troops to train on, and support, the new systems coming into operation.

Ukraine is currently building between 500,000 and 800,000 drones a month. In the first nine months of 2026, Ukrainian troops ordered more than 590,000 unmanned aerial vehicles via the government-run Brave1 Market marketplace alone, with interceptors the most commonly ordered.

Another Ukrainian C-UAS supplier with a large stand was TAF Industries, manufacturer of the Octopus-100 interceptor (maximum speed over 300 km/h, a payload of 1.2kg and 15 minutes flight duration), and the Kolibri-i10 (speed of over 200km/h, payload of 0.6 kg and a flight duration of over 20 minutes).

It is unusual to see quite so many Chinese defence and drone companies promoting their products to a western audience, given the supply chain agreements between China and Russia and the highly restricted and legally complex procedures in place for promoting Chinese defence equipment in the UK. While most Chinese exhibitors were at DroneX to promote their battery and component products Terjin Shanghai exhibited its fully integrated RF-based detection, identification, and jamming AI-based low latitude platform while Shengying Technology Co Ltd featured its 7-inch FPV interceptor with AI-assisted guidance, delivering up to 300 km/h and a 300 g payload capacity.

C-UAS interceptors are becoming smaller and faster. Denmark’s XTRAFLY 10-inch VTOL high-speed interceptor has an impressive top speed of 390km/h and an endurance of 35 minutes. The UK’s OMD has built a 5 inch interceptor with a 400 plus km/h speed and an endurance of 10 minutes and a 7 inch version with a speed of 300 km/h and an endurance of 25 minutes.

Singapore was also well represented in the C-UAS space. DroneSense and Inphoeni both had large stands to promote fully integrated detect, classify and mitigate C-UAS systems.

The September issue of the 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now available. The guide is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.

The post Counter-UAS technology at DroneX – Ukraine shines and China surprises first appeared on Unmanned airspace.