Industrial Options Opening Targets Scalable, Survivable Detection Applied sciences
The Protection Innovation Unit (DIU) has issued a brand new Industrial Options Opening (CSO) targeted on one of many quickest rising safety challenges dealing with protection and homeland operations: detecting and monitoring small unmanned plane methods (sUAS).
The solicitation, titled Counter UAS Sensing for Homeland and Cell Protection, seeks commercially accessible and rising applied sciences able to delivering scalable, survivable, next-generation sensing for each mounted installations and tactical forces. The trouble displays rising concern over the proliferation of small drones that may evade conventional air protection methods.
Addressing a Persistent Sensing Hole
Small UAS current distinctive detection challenges. Their low radar cross part, different flight profiles, and rising autonomy make them tough to trace with legacy methods. On the similar time, their affordability and accessibility have expanded their use throughout each business and adversarial purposes.
Conventional counter-UAS methods typically include vital value, energy, and sustainment necessities. These limitations make it tough to deploy them extensively throughout dispersed installations or cell forces. DIU’s new effort goals to interrupt that cost-performance barrier by encouraging business to ship commercially pushed sensing options that may scale with out imposing extreme logistical burdens.
The purpose is evident: allow persistent, distributed sensing layers that shut protection gaps whereas remaining adaptable to evolving threats.
Two Strains of Effort
The CSO outlines two complementary traces of effort, every concentrating on completely different operational environments.
Homeland Protection Sensing
The primary line focuses on persistent safety of mounted U.S. installations, together with websites positioned in populated and electromagnetically complicated environments. DIU is looking for radar-centric sensor networks able to detecting and monitoring Group 1 sUAS at ranges of two kilometers or higher.
Past easy detection, methods should reveal the flexibility to:
• Autonomously classify threats
• Discriminate organic and floor muddle
• Preserve multi-target monitoring in actual time
• Combine with current command and management frameworks
• Function reliably in different climate situations
This displays the rising want for high-fidelity sensing that reduces false alarms whereas offering operators with clear, actionable info.
Cell Tactical Sensing
The second line addresses sensing for maneuver forces working in contested environments. DIU is requesting compact, low-signature methods able to working whereas stationary or on the transfer, together with in GPS-denied and electromagnetically contested situations.
Key traits embody:
• Speedy setup and teardown
• Redundant sensing components to keep away from single factors of failure
• Robust efficiency towards RF noise
• Compatibility with tactical automobiles reminiscent of JLTVs and ISVs
This focus aligns with fashionable battlefield realities, the place adversaries more and more deploy small drones in swarms to disrupt floor operations. A sensing functionality that may transfer with tactical models and function independently of susceptible infrastructure would offer vital operational benefit.
Pathway to Demonstration and Manufacturing
Chosen distributors could also be invited to take part in Part 2 demonstrations at Yuma Proving Floor in spring 2026. These evaluations will check efficiency in life like operational environments.
DIU emphasizes mature applied sciences with robust potential for fast transition. Profitable prototype efforts might lead on to follow-on manufacturing awards with out extra competitors, providing corporations a transparent path from demonstration to fielded functionality.
The solicitation additionally encourages teaming preparations, notably between progressive small companies and skilled integrators able to addressing complicated {hardware} and software program integration necessities.
What This Indicators for the Trade
This initiative highlights a broader shift in protection acquisition technique. Relatively than relying completely on massive, centralized air protection methods, the Division of Protection continues to maneuver towards distributed, commercially derived sensing architectures that may scale shortly and adapt to rising threats.
For corporations working in radar, RF detection, passive sensing, AI-driven classification, and sensor fusion, this represents a big alternative. The demand shouldn’t be merely for detection {hardware}, however for resilient, networked methods able to delivering actionable intelligence in dynamic environments.
As small UAS proceed to proliferate globally, scalable sensing options will stay a precedence throughout homeland safety and tactical protection missions. DIU’s newest solicitation reinforces the urgency of closing sensing gaps and accelerating business innovation into operational use.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, an expert drone companies market, and a fascinated observer of the rising drone business and the regulatory setting for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles targeted on the business drone house and is a global speaker and acknowledged determine within the business. Â Miriam has a level from the College of Chicago and over 20 years of expertise in excessive tech gross sales and advertising and marketing for brand new applied sciences.
For drone business consulting or writing, Electronic mail Miriam.
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