DroneShield has expanded its open counter-drone architecture to include Aim Defence’s Fractl high-power laser effector, extending its layered ecosystem beyond RF sensing, electronic warfare and command-and-control.
"Customers are no longer asking which specific sensor or effector is best,” Chief Technology Officer of DroneShield, Angus Harris, said.
“They're asking how to combine the best technologies into a single operational capability that can adapt as threats evolve. Expanding our ecosystem with Aim Defence’s high-power laser gives customers another defeat option within that same open architecture. It is great to be working with Aim Defence which, like DroneShield, is a shining example of Australia’s defence tech landscape".
The expansion comes through a collaboration with Australian directed energy company Aim Defence, which will bring the Fractl high-power laser system into DroneShield's ecosystem of sensing and defeat technologies.
Aim Defence has developed deployable directed energy systems. According to the company, its AI-enabled, high-power laser is designed to be interoperable with external sensors and command-and-control platforms, enabling precision engagement as part of broader layered defence architectures.
Through the collaboration, DroneShield’s DroneSentry operational platform will be interoperable with Aim Defence’s Fractl high-power laser. This will enable operators to coordinate RF sensing, AI-enabled software, sensor fusion, command-and-control and directed energy from a common operating environment.
“In Australia and elsewhere, the adoption of directed energy-based counter-drone solutions is moving fast,” Director of Strategic Initiatives at Aim Defence, Jenelle Frewen, said.
“This collaboration with DroneShield provides a framework for more customer demonstrations, interoperability work, and future deployment opportunities where directed energy can play a major role. With the inclusion of Fractl into DroneShield’s open architecture, allied defence and security organisations will have a proven drone hard-kill option to add to their existing layered counter drone and air defence systems”.
Initial engagement will focus on selected military and government end-users to explore opportunities where the interoperability of DroneShield’s and AIM Defence’s solutions can support mission-critical counter-drone environments.