Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s (Virginia Tech) Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) and National Security Institute (VTNSI) have partnered with the US Army to open a counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) testing and research centre.
The university officially opened the centre and hosted a ribbon cutting at Virginia Tech’s Kentland Farm on 28 August.
The MAAP is one of nine Federal Aviation Administration designated UAS test sites and has previously partnered with government agencies, evaluating a number of C-UAS systems. VTNSI’s researchers specialise in autonomy, spectrum dominance, cybersecurity and resilience, artificial intelligence, test and evaluation, and machine learning.
The research site is equipped with an indoor lab to measure the telltale signals that UAS emit, a virtual environment to model complex drone threats and real-world environments, and an outdoor range that pairs synthetic drone emulators, relevant flight paths and UAS to enable realistic real-world mission replication.
A network of sensors spread across the range keeps record of where each drone is and how it is being seen, measuring the performance of C-UAS systems, sensors and algorithms.
The US Army Futures Command Combat Capabilities Development Command C5ISR Center invested USD 5 million in the Virginia Tech facility. It has received support from members of Virginia’s congressional delegation.
For more information
Image: Attendees were invited to fly a drone during the new centre’s ribbon cutting event. (Photo by Luke Hayes for Virginia Tech)
The 2026 Unmanned Airspace Global Counter-UAS Systems Directory is now available. The guide is the world’s only comprehensive, continually updated directory of global C-UAS companies and systems. It itemises over 1,000 C-UAS products and services with performance details, company sales and partnerships arrangements. It is updated every month and broken down into niche sub-sectors (net-capture, missiles, intercept drones, detectors etc) to give C-UAS procurement and industry personnel a unique perspective of global C-UAS technical capabilities and market positions. It is available in word, PDF and excel formats and Unmanned Airspace readers are eligible for a range of discounts. For more information about the Directory please contact the editor Philip Butterworth-Hayes at philip@unmannedairspace.info.