BlueHalo Wins New US Army Counter-UAS Missile Project

The Aviation & Missile Technology Consortium, an entity that the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center hosts, has selected BlueHalo as one of two contractors to advance the development of the Army’s next-generation counter-uncrewed aerial systems missile. 

In May, through the AMTC, the Arlington, Virginia-based defense technology company also secured a $95.4 million advanced directed energy prototype development contract for the service branch’s anti-drone laser weapon. 

In addition, the Army awarded BlueHalo a four-year logistics support contract in April to provide preventative and corrective maintenance for the Palletized High Energy Laser system designed to defeat small unmanned aerial system threats.

According to Jonathan Moneymaker, BlueHalo CEO and a 4×24 member and Wash100 awardee, the new NGCM will provide U.S. warfighters and allies “unmatched, layered protection,” with the technological superiority it would incorporate, BlueHalo said.

Under the NGCM project, the company will deploy the next-generation missile it unveiled in October. BlueHalo said its NGM is a modular system using directed energy and radio-frequency-based C-UAS solutions to identify, track and destroy large aerial threats. The missile, which uses current infrastructure and command and control platforms, can adopt other rocket motors for further versatility in engaging sub-sonic and supersonic targets.

Jimmy Jenkins, BlueHalo executive vice president and defense sector general manager, described the company’s C-UAS as an “agile, disruptive, technically superior interceptor” capable of providing air defense to warfighters at mission speed.