Counter-UAS measures a priority of U.S. Department of Defense
NewsDecember 04, 2023
WASHINGTON. The U.S. Army and the other military branches are working on countermeasures, training, and doctrine to address ways to defend against uncrewed aerial system (UAS) attacks, stated Maj. Gen. Sean A. Gainey, director of the Joint Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office.
Maj. Gen. Gainey -- speaking at a recent Center for Strategic and International Studies event called "Countering Small Uncrewed Aerial Systems" -- said that each of the military services is partnering with industry to conduct experiments and field testing in attempt to identify a variety of ways to defeat UAS attacks.
During the event, Gainey said that one promising area of examination is the use of high-powered microwaves to defeat UASs; the high-powered microwaves range from 10 to 50 kilowatts and cost less per shot than traditional munitions such as missiles. Demonstrations have already shown some success in this area, he asserted.
Additional areas under investigation include advanced radar and command-and-control systems that connect shooters and sensors to targets, Gainey said.
Gainey cautioned that use of microwaves is not an end-all solution, however, since other defensive measures could be more appropriate given conditions on the battlefield and in the environment, including atmospheric conditions: "There isn't a silver bullet solution out there."
