With War in the Middle East, Counter-Drone Responds - Defense ...

With War in the Middle East, Counter-Drone Responds - Defense Security Monitor

Coyote CUAS. Image – Raytheon

Over the coming weeks, the big story for counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) procurement and operations will likely remain the U.S./Israeli joint attack on Iran and how military forces and neighboring countries are responding to that nation’s largely missile and drone-based counter attacks on civilian centers, energy infrastructure, and armed forces positions and bases.

While bigger drones like the very dangerous Shahed are being intercepted by pretty much anything heavy and fast enough that can be thrown at them, including attack drones, surface to air missiles, attack helicopters and even jet fighters, smaller drones, also making an impact, are being opposed by an equally wide, if sometimes novel variety of responses.

By some accounts, thousands of drone and missile attacks have been launched by Iran region-wide, with apparently only a relatively smaller number actually hitting significant targets. This disparity is happening because, outside of Ukraine, and even before the new war, the Middle East was already one of the most heavily drone-defended regions in the world.

Beyond the venerable missile defense systems used by Israel and the U.S. such as the Patriot and Iron Dome systems, and the related, laser-based Iron Beam, for years the nations of Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have also been investing in a counter-drone systems, especially in concert with the U.S. military and the bases located within their borders.

Late last year, in November, MBDA signed its first export contract with a Middle Eastern country to provide its SKY WARDEN C-UAS solution. Though not specified at the time, the purchasing country was likely one of the heavy counter-drone investors, such as Oman.

MBDA states that the multi-layered SKY WARDEN offers a range of effectors designed to counter and destroy enemy drones, including a CILAS HELMA-P laser weapon, omni and directional jammers, MBDA HTK (Hit-to-Kill) drone interceptors and the MISTRAL 3 missile.

Recent weeks have seen a flurry of new orders for air defense systems and C-UAS, particularly, of U.S. made systems through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, further shoring up an already C-UAS rich region.

Just before the start of hostilities, on February 26, the U.S. Department of State approved an FMS order for Jordan of Ku Band Multi-Function Radio Frequency System (KuMRFS) radars, command and control system; generators; global positioning system receivers, and other related equipment for an estimated cost of $280 million.

On March 19, an FMS to the UAE was approved for 10 Fixed Site- Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), its primary effector, known by the name Coyote, and related equipment for estimated total cost of $2.1 billion.

The sale was reported to include: 240 Coyote Block 2 All-Up-Rounds;