Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF 401) recently supported the United States Army’s assessment of emerging counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) capabilities during Project Flytrap 5.0, a training exercise currently underway in Lithuania.
Led by the Army’s V Corps, Project Flytrap 5.0 is a multinational exercise that brings together US and allied forces, including the United Kingdom and Australia, alongside industry partners to assess emerging C-UAS technology. The exercise evaluated performance, interoperability and the tactical employment of more than 20 different systems in an operational environment.
“This year marks the first time the testing and evaluation standards established by JIATF 401 were applied, ensuring that the performance data collected from the systems evaluated is available to all services and other government agencies that have joined the task force,” the US defence department said on May 12.
During the latest Flytrap exercise, a ground team from the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command supported instrumented data collection and analysis to evaluate system performance. By pairing data-driven testing with operator feedback, the assessment helped identify how emerging C-UAS capabilities will perform in realistic environments.
“Being here allows us to see firsthand not only how the technology is integrated but how it can be utilised in an operational environment,” said Army Col. Sam Kline, JIATF 401 response team director. “This investment provides testing data and operator feedback, enabling us to improve technology in real time and deliver top-tier C-UAS capabilities to our warfighters.”
Project Flytrap 5.0 also evaluated the integration of the integrated battle command system – manoeuvre, the common tactical user interface that enables integration across the command-and-control framework for C-UAS. By combining live testing, instrumented data collection and field assessments, the exercise helped inform which technologies could support integrated, layered C-UAS operations.
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Image: Army Pfc. Taylor Green, an infantryman assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, Rice Lake, Wis., flies a drone at Vilseck, Germany, April 15, 2026 where soldiers tested new C-UAS technology in preparation for Project Flytrap 5.0. (US Army photo by Army Sgt. Addison Shinn)
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