WASHINGTON, the USA (BulgarianMilitary.com), 2 August 2018, Editor: Galina Zdravkova, Photo credit: Leonardo DRS/A M-ATV equipped with Leonardo DRS’ MLIDS, developed to disable or destroy enemy drones
In the context of the quickly developing UAV technologies nowadays, an additional $13 million has been granted to Leonardo DRS in order the company to continue its engineering and testing work on a vehicle-mounted counter-UAV system as reported in statement of the Defence Department from 31st July 2018, learned BulgarianMilitary.com
The U.S. Army considers that through that system soldiers will be protected from small drones.
The initial contract at the amount of $16 million was awarded by the Army to Leonardo last year in July and involved development of a counter-UAV capability named the Mobile Low, Slow Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Integrated Defence System (MLIDS) under an urgent operational need of a counter-UAV capability for protection of soldiers against enemy drones.
During the annual AUSA conference in October 2017, Leonardo revealed that the company had been awarded a $42 million production contract for MLIDS for the U.S. Army in response to its requirement small, unmanned systems like quadcopters and fixed-wing aircraft operating as airborne improvised explosive devices to be defeated.
Then the VP and general manager for DRS Land Systems Aaron Hankins commented, “Drones are becoming an increasingly dangerous threat against our forward-deployed soldiers, and we are proud to support this urgent requirement to protect them from potentially lethal small unmanned aerial vehicles. We are working hard to deliver the best capability to our soldiers as quickly as possible.”
MLIDS is a combination of different sensors and shooters installed on two mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles (M-ATV). One of the vehicles would be equipped with an elevated electro-optical infrared system, which allows the vehicle to identify and track UAV, and the other vehicle would carry a radar for detection and tracking of UAV, as well as a variety of kinetic weapons capable of defeating drones, such as a turret with a 50 calibre gun.
The works on the agreement are scheduled to be completed till May 2019.
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