US Army Awards $350K to Four Firms for Cutting-Edge Counter-Drone Tech

The US Army has awarded four companies $350,000 each for their contributions to counter-drone technology. AG3 Labs, Armaments Research Company, MatrixSpace, and Mountain Horse Solutions are now part of the Army’s Global Tactical Edge Directorate Marketplace. The move supports efforts to accelerate the delivery of advanced equipment to the Army and its allies. From 10 to 21 November, Project Flytrap 4.5 took place in Germany. The competition focused on countering drone threats. A US Army team assessed various systems that use active sensors, passive sensors, or kinetic interceptors to detect and neutralise drones.

During the event, US soldiers joined Polish and Romanian troops for training. After 10 days, they successfully demonstrated the Merops platform on 18 November. This American-made system deploys an interceptor drone, the Surveyor, to locate and intercept hostile drones. The Merops platform has already proven effective in Ukraine, where it helped defeat Russian Shahed drones.

The Army’s G-TEAD program aims to speed up the deployment of operationally ready equipment and software. Collaboration with industry partners is key to refining and optimising counter-drone systems for NATO defence. The Army awarded contracts to four firms to advance counter-drone capabilities. The successful demonstration of the Merops platform in Germany highlights progress in this area. These efforts are part of a broader push to strengthen NATO’s ability to counter drone threats across Eastern Europe.