Strikewerx Selects Companies to Demonstrate Anti-Drone-Swarming Solutions

Twenty-six organizations will assist Strikewerx, the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command’s innovation hub, develop  technologies to fend off unmanned aerial vehicle swarms.

According to Strikewerx, the companies will virtually demonstrate their solutions in November and perform a live showcase in December at the Cyber Innovation Center in Louisiana. AFGSC evaluators will identify the best solutions that could receive a prototype development contract after the demonstrations.

Anduril Industries, BlueHalo, Honeywell, Leidos and Leonardo DRS Land Systems are among the companies selected from over 75 submissions received in August, Strikewerx said.

In recent months, the U.S. defense sector had been looking for ways to combat drone-swarming attacks.

In May, Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering and a 2023 Wash100 awardee, issued a statement asking the industry to help build weapons that can defeat the threat. According to Shyu, drone swarms should be defeated through navigation systems manipulation, kinetic and directed-energy solutions and control-link defense systems.

In April, the Air Force Research Laboratory demonstrated the Tactical High-power Operational Responder, which uses microwaves to shoot down live drones.