Army Looks to Electronic Warfare Systems to Strengthen Counter-Drone Defenses

The U.S. Army is developing new electronic warfare platforms to counter the growing threat of unmanned aerial systems on the battlefield.

The military is focusing on a layered defense strategy that combines hard kill methods, such as shooting down drones with missiles, with soft kill systems that use electronic jamming to disrupt communication links between machine and operator, DefenseScoop reported.

Key EW systems currently in development include the Multi-Function Electronic Warfare-Air Large, an airborne pod-mounted system for drones, and the Terrestrial Layer System-Brigade Combat Team, the first integrated platform for electronic warfare, signals intelligence and cyber operations.

Additionally, the Army is developing the TLS-Manpack, the service’s first dismounted system allowing soldiers to jam enemy drones. Lockheed Martin and CACI subsidiary Mastodon Design are attached to the projects.

According to the Program Executive Office for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors, while not primarily designed for C-UAS, the EW systems the Army is working on will have functionalities that contribute directly and indirectly to its overall C-UAS effort.

The systems are expected to be deployed in the coming years.