The US Army has chosen Anduril Industries, based in California, to upgrade its capacity for defending against unmanned aerial threats. The selection came after a thorough competitive evaluation by the Army’s Program Executive Office Missiles and Space and the Defense Innovation Unit, in which Anduril bested fellow California company Zone 5 Technologies. This modernization effort revolves around a fire control system that consolidates sensor and radar data with weapon control to improve response to increasing UAV threats. While the Army has not publicly revealed contract specifics, industry insiders point to Anduril’s recent decade-long $642 million contract with the Marine Corps for a related counter-drone solution, implying a similar scale for this Army initiative. The newly procured technology will supplant the Army’s current Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system, which was developed by Northrop Grumman, who also entered their own AiON system in the competition. Officials emphasized that regular technology refresh competitions will be held to keep pace with drone warfare advancements, ensuring robust protection for soldiers.
