The United States Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has started prototyping commercial and dual-use technology systems to provide counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) capabilities that defeat group 3 and above adversarial threats.
DIU and US defence department partners selected Anduril Industries and Zone 5 Technologies to develop prototype solutions for the Counter NEXT programme in autumn 2024. These vendors were selected from more than 65 commercial and dual-use technology company applicants.
“Less than a year later, both vendors have completed initial design and developmental sprints and successful baseline flight testing of their proposed solutions,” DIU said. “Based on the data gathered, warfighter feedback and knowledge gained during the first sprint, iterative improvements are being made to both systems to ensure the solutions address the capability gap before additional flight testing and safety/qualification testing occur in the months ahead.”
Counter NEXT vendors are incorporating commercial off-the-shelf components wherever possible. To enable future design improvements and rapid integration of subsystems and components as they improve, the Counter NEXT prototypes are using a modular open systems architecture and being designed for mass production using modern manufacturing techniques. All components will be qualified and certified to stringent military standards.
Following Anduril and Zone 5’s recent successful flight demonstrations, both vendors received additional funding to further refine their rapid prototypes, integrate their systems with the mission partner’s combat systems, and conduct the safety testing required prior to a live fire test event in the summer of 2026.
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Image: Zone 5 Technologies
