US Army Office Holds Counter-Drone Technology Demonstration

The Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office has hosted an industry demonstration of new weapons and tools for defeating Group 3 sUAS threats to enhance U.S. defenses against hostile drones.

JCO has been holding similar events over the past two years. The recent demonstration involved defeating aggressor drones at longer distances, higher altitudes and faster speeds compared to the previous trial held earlier in 2023. Michael DiGennaro, JCO test lead, said destroying adversarial systems at a farther range will prevent them from harming U.S. forces.

The four-week demo event was held at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in May and June, DVIDS reported. Participating vendors brought and tested their offerings, including missiles and high-powered microwaves.

JCO is expected to continue conducting similar demonstrations for several more years at YPG to focus on other types of sUAS threats and gather data on the latest C-sUAS systems.

YPG is among the test ranges that can support such events. It employs personnel with UAS testing knowledge and has the ability to control more than 500 permanent radio frequencies.