Marines pick two companies for counter-UAV electromagnetic warfare systems to defeat enemy uncrewed aircraft
QUANTICO, Va. – U.S. Marine Corps leaders needed a battlefield system to counter uncrewed aircraft. They found solutions from Invariant Corp. in Huntsville, Ala., and Anduril Federal in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Officials of the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command at Quantico Marine Base, Va., announced separate contracts in October, each worth a potential $200 million, to Invariant and Anduril to integrate and deliver a counter-unmanned aircraft system engagement system.
The Marine Corps will pay the companies $15.5 million up-front, and will pay each company for subsequent delivery orders as other funding becomes available.
Software integration
Invariant specializes in hardware and sensor development, prototyping, and cutting-edge custom software development, while Anduril specializes in autonomous systems.
Anduril has major products in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), counter-UAV, semi-portable autonomous surveillance systems, and networked command and control software. The company has counter-UAV technologies that can identify, track, and disable rogue drones in any environment, day or night.
The Anduril Roadrunner, for example, is a 6-foot twin turbojet-powered delta-winged aircraft capable of high subsonic speeds and extreme maneuverability -- a cross between an autonomous drone and a reusable missile.
The Roadrunner-M version has an explosive warhead to intercept enemy UAVs, cruise missiles, and manned aircraft, and can take off and land vertically from a dedicated container. It can be recovered if not detonated.
The Anduril Lattice software uses artificial intelligence (AI) to classify objects by fusing data from disparate sensors, and typically is used for military base surveillance.
Electromagnetic warfare
The Anduril Anvil is an unmanned quadcopter designed to attack other UAVs. It locates target drones using computer vision, and can be commanded to ram targets by its operator. A detonating version called the Anvil-M was unveiled in October 2023.
The Anduril Pulsar is an AI-enabled family of software-defined electromagnetic warfare systems that can adapt rapidly to emerging threats. Pulsar’s modular form factor can adapt to and integrate onto ground vehicles or aircraft to support different counter-UAV missions.
On this contract Invariant and Anduril will do the work in Huntsville, Ala., and in Costa Mesa, Calif., and should be finished by October 2031. For more information contact Invariant online at www.invariant-corp.com, or Anduril Federal at www.anduril.com/capability/counter-uas.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
