The US Army is seeking the help of the defense industry for a system that can protect military personnel and facilities from kamikaze drones.
The effectiveness of loitering munitions in destroying military assets has been proven during the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow and Kyiv have both reportedly used thousands of explosive-carrying unmanned systems.
Evolving Threat
To prepare for potential attacks using suicide drones, US Army acquisition division chief Col. Mike Parent revealed that the service is poised to issue a formal request for ideas regarding an anti-kamikaze drone system.
He said the threat of loitering munitions remains a high concern, so the need for a system that can counter those threats is urgent and important.
“The one-way attack is something that we have been told again and again…” he said during the Association of the US Army’s annual conference in Washington, DC. “This is something that is evolving. We must, therefore, evolve with it.”
The defense system must reportedly focus on countering threats from Group 3 drones, which includes small unmanned aerial systems that weigh between 55 and 1,320 pounds (25 to 598 kilograms).
Kamikaze Drones in Russia-Ukraine War
Because of the apparent success of unmanned systems in deterring enemy attacks, both Russia and Ukraine have used suicide drones for attack operations.
Earlier this year, the US Department of Defense sent 580 Phoenix Ghost kamikaze drones to Kyiv as part of a $270-million security assistance package.
The loitering munition’s capabilities are similar to that of Switchblade drones, and they are configured to meet critical Ukrainian needs.
On Wednesday, Channel News Asia reported that Russia launched widespread air attacks on Ukrainian cities using missiles and Iranian Shahed-136 drones.
The Ukrainian military lists the drone as one of the biggest sources of daily aerial threats in its airspace.
