Last week, Leidos Australia and its Land 156 project partners have demonstrated a mission-ready counter-drone capability for the Australian Defence Force (ADF), shooting down drones kinetically and non-kinetically.
“The development and successful trial of advanced counter-drone technology is a testament to Australia’s thriving innovation ecosystem and the technical expertise within our defence sector. We are proud to be part of the team strengthening Australia’s sovereign defence capability through mission-critical systems that can provide immediate tactical utility and long-term operational relevance," Leidos Australia, Chief Executive, Paul Chase, stated.
The Exercise Southern Arrow 25 live-fire event has confirmed the effectiveness and successful integration of systems to detect, track and neutralise small Group 1 and Group 2 drones in the field.
"VAMPIRE has been used extensively in support of European combat operations since 2023 and has successfully shot down hundreds of drones. Working together, this system will also help our allied partners in Australia defeat the rapidly growing threat of hostile drones accurately and affordably," L3Harris Technologies Vice President and General Manager, Targeting and Sensor Systems, Tom Kirkland, said.
Leidos Australia has validated and integrated core technologies, bringing together advanced sensors, effectors and command and control capabilities into a cohesive, mission-ready solution.
“Cutting edge technology, pioneering spirit, and an outstanding sense of collaboration have demonstrated clearly how Australian companies can develop critical capability for the Australian Defence Force. Department 13 is proud to be contributing our advanced drone detection and tracking systems, and we look forward to continuing to help build a sovereign industrial base for the future defence of Australia," Department 13 CEO, Ben Westgarth, highlighted.
Australian technologies included the Acacia Systems’ Cortex command-and-control system, EOS Defence Systems’ effector suite and Department 13’s sensor system, alongside Echodyne’s MESA radars and L3 Harris’ Vampire laser-guided rocket system for detection, tracking, identification and defeat of small drones.