Application 03 · Counter-UAS
Counter-UAS.
Small uncrewed aircraft have become one of the defining problems in modern defence. They are cheap, numerous, difficult to see and easy to obtain — and the systems traditionally used to counter them cost orders of magnitude more than the thing they are countering.
The Problem
An economics problem
as much as a technical one.
A small drone can be inexpensive, while a conventional means of stopping it can cost a great deal. That exchange rate is unsustainable for anyone defending against numbers, and it is why counter-UAS has moved from a niche concern to a central one so quickly.
The detection problem is genuinely hard on its own terms. Small aircraft are physically tiny, fly low and slow, are often made of materials that are difficult to detect, and appear against cluttered backgrounds. Distinguishing one from a bird at useful range is not a solved problem.
Where Autonomy Applies
Detect, track,
identify.
Our interest is the sensing and understanding half of the problem: reliably noticing that something is there, following it, and working out what it is — quickly enough for a person to decide what to do.
- DetectionNoticing a small, low, slow object against a cluttered background, in all conditions.
- TrackingHolding onto it consistently as it manoeuvres, and handling several at once.
- IdentificationDistinguishing an aircraft from a bird, and one type of aircraft from another.
- Timely reportingPresenting a clear picture fast enough that the warning is still useful.
Our work in this area concerns detection, tracking and identification — building an accurate picture so that people can decide what to do. Decisions about response rest with the human commanders responsible for them, in line with our responsible autonomy commitments. Everything described here is under active research and development. Nothing has been fielded, and we do not publish specifications or performance figures. Our first end-to-end mission test is planned for December 2026. Technical detail is shared directly with partners, evaluators and the armed forces under appropriate terms — get in touch.
Talk To Us
Working the
counter-UAS problem?
If you're responsible for this problem, we'd value understanding how it actually presents in your environment.