The United States Army Applications Laboratory (AAL) is seeking technologies related to protecting armoured vehicles on the move from small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS).
The Army’s Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) states that the capability should be “cost effective and easily deployable without opening vehicle hatches, while enhancing protection and survivability”.
The Army says that recent conflicts have demonstrated the effectiveness of FPV self-detonating sUAS against armoured vehicles. In addition to self-detonating, these sUAS can also carry munitions, grenades and chemical materials that specifically target the armoured vehicles. As a result of these attacks, the vehicles are damaged, disabled or destroyed. In addition, and as evidenced by recent events in Ukraine, these incidents may also result in the vehicle’s hatch being open while under attack, diminishing soldier survivability.
The BAA effort seeks to provide a range of solutions that may include active, passive, kinetic and/or non-kinetic strategies to protect armoured vehicles from sUAS while allowing them to remain mobile. The preference is for systems that are usable across various armoured platforms.
Upon receipt, the US government will evaluate submissions through the process established in the AAL BAA, and reserves the right to cancel the special notice without award for any reason. However, the notice states that the government anticipates awarding one or more procurement contracts under this Special Topic and will also consider other potential award types, to include other transactions, grants, cooperative agreements and Technology Investment Agreements. AAL anticipates awarding a contract, or contracts, in September 2025.
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Image: US Army Photo by Spc. Rayonne Bissant
