DHS effort to counter small UAS seeks information on kinetic mitigation measures

As part of an ongoing push to counter small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) launched a Request for Information (RFI) on kinetic mitigation technologies and solutions.

“This effort is designed to expand our knowledge of kinetic sUAS mitigation technologies and how they apply to the multiple DHS mission sets,” Shawn McDonald, S&T Counter-UAS program manager, said. “Information and data collected during this event will assist S&T in understanding, measuring and minimizing collateral effects.”

Respondents could include industry, academic institutions, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers, and other government organizations, so long as they get their responses in by May 5, 2023. If selected, respondents will be asked to participate in two DHS-funded demonstrations scheduled for July 10-28, 2023, and for July 2024. Testing will take place at the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in North Dakota.

The C-UAS program will direct testing of technologies and solutions, assessing them in both lab and real-world operational environments. Ultimately, the goal is to deliver these counter UAS capabilities for DHS components. The RFI, however, is for participation in the demonstration events only, and will not result in a contract award.

However, the S&T added that selected participants may be asked to sign a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. government.