C-UAS Options, Techniques and Acquisition - European Security & Defence
AI Analysis
The article highlights the increasing role of drones in modern warfare, particularly in the Ukraine conflict, where drones account for a significant portion of enemy target destruction. It emphasizes the need for enhanced counter-UAS capabilities, focusing on detection, tracking, and interception technologies for both fixed sites and mobile platforms.
Key Takeaways
- Drones are responsible for 80% of enemy target destruction in the Ukraine conflict.
- Latvian intelligence reports 70-80% of casualties in the Ukraine War are due to unmanned systems.
- Ukrainian drone operators simulated successful attacks on NATO tanks during an exercise.
- The need for counter-UAS capabilities is critical to protect infrastructure from reconnaissance and strike drones.
- The US Army received vehicle-mounted Locust laser weapons for C-UAS in August 2025.
Why It Matters
The strategic significance lies in the transformative impact of drones on warfare, necessitating advancements in counter-UAS technologies to protect military and civilian infrastructure. As drones increasingly dominate the battlefield, effective countermeasures are essential to maintaining tactical and strategic advantages.
C-UAS Options, Techniques and Acquisition - European Security & Defence
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European Security & Defence
Start Articles Exclusive C-UAS Options, Techniques and Acquisition
The first vehicle-mounted Locust laser weapons suitable for C-UAS were delivered to the US Army in August 2025. (Image: AeroVironment/Blue Halo)
Recent headlines and analyses underscore how unmanned aerial systems (UAS) – large and small, long-range and short, reconnaissance and strike – are changing tactical norms on today’s battlefield, and beyond. In January 2026, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry stated that 80% of enemy targets destroyed were now caused by drones. That same month, Latvian intelligence sources independently reported that 70-80% of casualties on both sides of the Ukraine War result from unmanned systems. And in February 2026, the Wall Street Journal reported that a 10-person team of Ukrainian drone operators, acting as an OPFOR unit during the March 2025 Hedgehog Exercise in Estonia, achieved simulated kills against 17 NATO tanks, as well as 30 other targets during a single day, effectively incapacitating two battalions. While these reports highlight only one aspect of modern warfare, and should not lead to a ‘target fixation’ on the drone threat, they do underscore the need for enhanced counter-drone capabilities at both the static and manoeuvre warfare level.
The Ukraine War also underscores the need to secure domestic military, industrial and critical public infrastructure from reconnaissance and strike drones, whether launched on long-range cross-border missions or deployed at close range to the target by infiltration teams. While there have been no documented attacks outside the two warring parties, European nations and the United States alike have recorded a significant number of incursions by unidentified UAS which are widely believed to reflect efforts to test defences and reconnoitre targets.
ESD recently discussed counter-UAS (C-UAS) options for dismounted infantry (Issue 03/2026). This article will focus on options for securing fixed sites and for deployment on mobile tactical platforms.
Detection, Tracking and Intercept Networks
The first step in UAS defence is detection of incoming threats, along with tracking and targeting solutions for whichever co