That initial set of capabilities is known as \u201cLow-Collateral Effects Increment No. 1,\u201d JCO Director Army Major Gen. Sean Gainey told reporters in a briefing today. The plan is to figure out what industry has \u201cready to deliver; ready to get it out to the field, pretty quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
The term \u201clow-collateral effects\u201d refers to counter drone systems that can be employed with few negative consequences for non-enemy aircraft and electronic systems near the field of intercept. Those types of weapons are the first focus in implementing DoD\u2019s strategy to defeat small drones, released in early January.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cJCO conducted an assessment of all the affiliated counter-UAS capabilities [within DoD] and essentially determined the selection of the current systems for future investment, based on a criteria such as effectiveness usability sustainment and the integration \u2013and that was one of our focuses, integration \u2014 into a common C2 [command and control system],\u201d Gainey elaborated. \u201cWith that assessment now complete \u2026 we\u2019re now continuing to work with industry to really bring these interim systems to full maturity, or to eventually replace them with follow-on, enduring solutions, and we\u2019ve reached out to industry to help us move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n While Gainey didn\u2019t directly answer a question about whether any system would be available by Sept. 30, as mandated in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the timeframe provided by JCO officials suggests the answer is \u2018no.\u2019<\/p>\n Army Col. Greg Soul\u00e9, JCO director of acquisition & resources, said the office is reviewing industry proposals sent in response to a Jan. 22 request for information (RFI)<\/a>. The focus of these first trials, to be held in April at the Yuma Proving Ground, is on \u201clow-collateral effects interceptors,\u201d he said. The RFI explains: \u201cSpecific, but not limited, uses would include defeating small UAS in urban environments, over sensitive sites, or situations where the rules of engagement would not allow kinetic effects.\u201d<\/p>\n Soul\u00e9 says they\u2019ll pick a down-select group to provide oral presentations, and then decide who comes to the trials. Based on the results \u2014 and \u201cworking with the Air Force as the designated service lead for this capability area\u201d \u2014 the JCO will \u201ccompare [chosen systems] against other similar low-collateral effect interceptor solutions that are already under government contract\u201d and assess their add-on value. \u201c[L]ate \u201921, I believe, is the current Air Force plan\u201d for finishing that review, he said. \u201cAnd then, in the \u201922 timeframe, selecting that initial capability for procurement and fielding to the force.\u201d<\/p>\n The Air Force, and the Army\u2019s Rapid Capabilities & Critical Technologies Office<\/a>\u00a0(RCCTO), which leads ground-force development of cutting-edge tech like\u00a0high-powered lasers<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0hypersonic missiles,<\/a> are partners with the JCO in the C-sUAS endeavor.<\/p>\n The April trials are only a first. There will be follow-on industry solicitations and trials for other types of low-collateral damage weapons, specifically those based on directed-energy, the JCO officials said.<\/p>\n There will certainly be \u201cfollow-on efforts \u2026 to look at the next set of solutions and\/or payloads that would also be a part of this low-collateral effects interceptor package,\u201d Soul\u00e9 said.<\/p>\n The end goal is a \u201csystem of systems, including kinetic; high-energy lasers being tested in field right now; and, eventually, high-powered microwaves,\u201d Gainey said. \u201cWe\u2019re deploying those [laser] systems right now, under combat into theaters right now, and seeing a lot of progress with high-energy lasers. Also, simultaneously, we\u2019re working \u2014 as most of you probably know \u2014 through the Air Force work in high-powered microwave capability that will also be deployed pretty soon. So those two capabilities \u2014 which although they\u2019re designed as components into architecture, can potentially become inherent systems themselves \u2014 are being tested.\u201d<\/p>\n The Air Force plans to do field testing on its Tactical High Power Microwave Operational Responder (THOR). It was expected to be deployed to Africa last fall but that was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. While there was some kerfluffle late last year about whether THOR had already been fielded, the bottom line is that THOR will be deployed sometime in 2021.<\/a><\/p>\n As various C-sUAS systems are deployed, Gainey stressed that integrated C2 is key to ensuring cross-service functionality, and that they can plug and play with the future Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2)<\/a> system, as well as the \u201ccommon data language\u201d being developed by the University of California<\/a> for DoD\u2019s Research & Engineering office (OSDR&E).<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we first started off, we recognized command and control was going to be the center of gravity for interoperability. And that\u2019s really what we\u2019re driving to right now is interoperability\u201d of the three C2 systems endorsed by the JCO back in June<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re sitting at a good spot in establishing that [interoperability] up front earlier, so now industry is building components to our common c2 standard,\u201d Gainey said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fie.undef.edu.ar\/ceptm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/militar.jpg\")
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