The US Air Force has awarded Trust Automation a contract worth up to $490 million to advance its unmanned and counter-unmanned aerial system (UAS/C-UAS) capabilities, reflecting the growing need to protect critical installations and deployed forces from drone threats. The award supports the rapid research, development, prototyping, testing, evaluation, production, and operational transition of innovative solutions designed to counter small drone incursions.
Under the contract, all work will be carried out at Trust Automation’s San Luis Obispo, California facility, with activities planned to continue through August 2030. The initiative focuses on anti-small UAS technologies capable of disrupting both command-and-control signals and GNSS frequencies, addressing the increasing use of drones for surveillance, reconnaissance, and tactical attacks on military assets.
Trust Automation’s core system, the Small Unmanned Air Defense System (SUADS), delivers layered protection for fixed sites, such as Air Force base defense operations centers, while also offering rapidly deployable solutions for forward combat zones. The modular architecture supports detection, monitoring, and neutralization of Groups 1 to 2 UAS threats, including drones weighing up to 25 kilograms (55 pounds), traveling at speeds up to 250 knots (463 km/h), and operating at altitudes of up to 3,500 feet (1,067 meters).
In addition to SUADS, the company produces the GAT UAS Jammer, a compact 6-inch (15-centimeter) system that can be mounted on NATO-standard firearms rails or used as a handheld device. The jammer allows warfighters to directly counter drone activity in GNSS bands, providing flexible options for both stationary defense and mobile operations. This contract positions Trust Automation as a key contributor to the US Air Force’s strategic counter-drone modernization efforts.
