BAE Systems wins US Army soft-kill protection programme - IN Defence
AI Analysis
BAE Systems has been awarded a US Army contract for the ROOK soft-kill active protection system, designed to protect combat vehicles from drone and anti-tank guided missile threats. ROOK utilizes electronic warfare countermeasures to disrupt enemy targeting systems, offering a non-kinetic defense layer. The program will involve vehicle integration, testing, and production across facilities in Texas and New Hampshire.
Key Takeaways
- The US Army selected BAE Systems' ROOK system for its Soft Kill Active Protection System program of record.
- ROOK employs electronic warfare (EW) to disrupt the guidance systems of incoming drones and anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM).
- ROOK is part of BAE Systems’ Intrepid Shield family, emphasizing a layered defense approach.
- Vehicle integration presents a significant challenge due to space and system compatibility constraints.
- The UK is also pursuing similar soft-kill protection systems with Thales and QinetiQ, indicating a broader trend in armored vehicle defense.
Why It Matters
This contract signals a growing US Army emphasis on soft-kill measures as a crucial component of vehicle protection, recognizing the increasing threat posed by low-cost drones and ATGMs. The adoption of EW-based systems complements hard-kill defenses, potentially extending the lifespan of expensive interceptors and providing a more robust defense against saturation attacks. This trend will likely influence future armored vehicle design and procurement strategies globally.
BAE Systems wins US Army soft-kill protection programme - IN Defence
BAE Systems wins US Army soft-kill protection programme
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May 28, 2026
BAE Systems has won the US Army soft-kill programme record. ROOK will bring electronic-warfare protection against drones and anti-tank guided missiles to combat vehicles.
IN Brief:
- BAE Systems has been selected for the US Army’s Soft Kill Active Protection System programme.
- The ROOK system uses electronic countermeasures to disrupt incoming UAS and anti-tank guided missile threats.
- The programme will require vehicle integration, prototype testing, and production activity in Texas and New Hampshire.
BAE Systems has been selected for the US Army’s Soft Kill Active Protection System programme of record, moving its ROOK vehicle-protection system into a formal route for prototype integration and testing.
ROOK, short for Rapid Optical Observation and Kill, is designed to equip combat vehicles with electronic-warfare countermeasures against uncrewed aircraft systems and anti-tank guided missile threats. The system forms part of BAE Systems’ Intrepid Shield layered protection family, combining situational awareness, threat response, and non-kinetic defeat methods for armoured vehicles.
Soft-kill protection differs from hard-kill active protection systems that physically intercept incoming threats. Instead of launching a projectile or explosive countermeasure, soft-kill systems use electronic or optical effects to disrupt, confuse, or jam guidance systems before a weapon reaches the vehicle. Used effectively, that can preserve hard-kill interceptors while adding another defensive layer against threats that are becoming cheaper, more numerous, and more varied.
The US Army programme will support further development and prototype vehicle integration, including testing of ROOK and related technologies such as Stormcrow and TERRA RAVEN. BAE Systems will develop and manufacture the system in Austin, Texas, with research and development support in Merrimack, New Hampshire.
Vehicle integration will be one of the harder parts of the programme. A mounted electronic-warfare system must combine sensors, processors, emitters, control software, power systems, cooling, cabling, and crew interfaces inside platforms already crowded with radios, sights, weapons, armour, and mission equipment. It has to function while the vehicle moves, communicates, fires, and operates alongside other electronic systems.
The emergence of soft-kill systems across allied vehicle programmes is visible beyond the US market. UK work on soft-kill protection with Thales and QinetiQ shows the same shift towards electronic and optical defeat methods. Armoured vehicle survivability is increasingly being shaped by sensors, software, and electromagnetic effects alongside armour and kinetic interceptors.
That shift has been accelerated by the spread of small drones, loitering munitions, and guided anti-armour weapons. Vehicles now fac