The US Army has selected California-based Anduril Industries to provide its next-generation capability for assisting troops in tracking and neutralizing unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The award follows a competitive evaluation that pitted Anduril against Zone 5 Technologies and Northrop Grumman’s AiON successor system, under the direction of the Army’s Program Executive Office Missiles and Space and the Defense Innovation Unit. Officials cited Anduril’s leading performance in realistic operational tests as pivotal to its selection.
This modernization initiative is focused on replacing the Army’s aging Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) system, aiming to synchronize the service’s radar, sensors, and weapons to match fast-evolving adversarial autonomous threats. The new, software-driven fire control solution will fuse multi-source sensor data, produce a unified airspace picture, and provide rapid engagement options for operators tasked with defending troops from drone attacks.
Though contract details remain undisclosed, industry sources note that Anduril recently secured a $642 million, 10-year contract with the US Marine Corps for a comparable counter-UAS system, suggesting a similar scale and technical ambition for the Army’s effort. The upgrade is not only expected to integrate new radars and effectors but will form the backbone of a continuously evolving digital C2 architecture. Future competitions, scheduled at least every two years, will allow the Army to leverage advancements from commercial innovators and ensure UAS defense keeps pace with global threats.
Upon fielding, Anduril’s technology will form the core of the Army’s air defense network, supplanting Northrop Grumman’s long-serving FAAD C2 and setting a new benchmark for rapid response and integrated protection against autonomous aerial threats.
