La empresa Honeywell anunci\u00f3 que a principios del 2025, realizar\u00e1 una demostraci\u00f3n para presentar su nuevo Sistema de Defensa A\u00e9rea \u201cContra-Drones\u201d (C-UAS). Las experiencias obtenidas por la creciente amenaza de drones, en conflictos como Nagorno-Karabaj, Ucrania y Medio oriente, han impulsado no solamente el desarrollo de capacidades propias con UAS de ataque (UCAS y Loitering Munition) sino adem\u00e1s la b\u00fasqueda de armas para defenderse de ellos. El sistema que desarrolla Honeywell se orienta a integrar en una sola plataforma, capacidades para neutralizar drones empleando efectores cin\u00e9ticos, as\u00ed como los del tipo \u201cSoft \u2013 kill\u201d que emplean tecnolog\u00edas de Energ\u00eda Dirigida (DEW) como L\u00e1ser de Alta Energ\u00eda (HEL) y Microondas de Gran Potencia (HPM). Las tres capacidades integradas, permitir\u00edan hacer frente a ataques masivos de \u201cEnjambres de drones\u201d (Drone Swarm), asegurando capacidad de derribo ilimitada y reducidos costos por cada amenaza neutralizada.<\/p>\n
AFA 2024\u00a0\u2014 Early next year, the US Air Force will see a demo of a new Honeywell system that combines kinetic interceptors, directed energy and electronic warfare capabilities to protect high-value targets from swarms of inbound drones.<\/p>\n
The company used this year\u2019s\u00a0Air & Space Forces Association conference outside of Washington, DC, to announce its\u00a0Stationary and Mobile Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Reveal and Intercept\u00a0capability that cobbles together host technologies from other vendors.<\/p>\n
\u201cModern warfare is rapidly changing, and the threat swarm drones pose to high-value assets can have a devastating effect on military operations,\u201d Matt Milas, Honeywell Aerospace defense and space president, said in a press release. The scalable configuration, he added, is designed to be integrated onto vehicles, as well as fixed-based platforms to protect sensitive targets from incoming drones.<\/p>\n
Although Honeywell did not disclose the technologies on the new system, key pieces of equipment are coming from\u00a0Blue Halo, Leonardo DRS, Pierce Aerospace, Silent Sentinel, Walaris, Rocky Research and Versatol.<\/p>\n
In a subsequent statement to Breaking Defense, a Honeywell spokesperson said the system marries up radar, electro-optical\/infrared, and artificial intelligence detectors, and then knocks the drones down by either launching a kinetic interceptor, using a directed energy weapon or severing the radio contact back to the controller.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis system\u2019s multi-layered defensive capabilities set it apart in the industry and enable it to not only track and detect, but also defeat multiple threats,\u201d Milas said in the press release.<\/p>\n
The Air Force Global Strike team has now tasked Honeywell with demonstrating the system in January 2025, at which time the C-UAS system will be used to first detect an unspecified number of drones moving at a high speed before disabling them.<\/p>\n
The growing role of drones on the battlefield inside Ukraine and in the Middle East has not only pushed the US military to ramp up its hunt for new capabilities, but also systems to defeat them. Part of that focus has revolved around existing kinetic options like Stinger missiles, while also testing out new directed energy ones like\u00a0high-energy laser<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0high-powered microwaves<\/a>\u00a0that may one day drive provide a cheaper per unit kill option.<\/p>\n