US special forces leverage AI for C-UAS missions

US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) on 19 January awarded Anduril Industries an IDIQ contract, worth up to $967.6 million over ten years, to function as a C-UAS systems integration partner (SIP).

Anduril was one of 12 companies to respond to a SIP Prototype Project Opportunity Notice released by USSOCOM in November 2020.

The notice outlined the ‘ever-increasing complex environments’ facing SOF, especially as adversaries have harnessed the power of autonomous systems to challenge US air supremacy.

USSOCOM acknowledged the emergence of ‘service-provided solutions’ to address the modern threat, but it warned they ‘fail to meet unique requirements’ for SOF-optimised solutions that reduce the cognitive burden on operators.

As a result, USSOCOM sought a SIP to bring together a family of systems that combine sensors and effectors to meet the evolving needs of SOF operators.

The Anduril approach to C-UAS (already adopted by the USMC) is based on its Lattice AI software backbone that combines computer vision, machine learning and mesh networking to fuse data into a single, autonomous operating picture.

The AI operating system and a network of sensors autonomously detects, classifies and tracks targets, alerting operators to threats and allowing options for mitigation or engagement.