US to develop 3 to 5 anti-drone systems for different attack scenarios: Pentagon Official
Washington/Sputnik: The US Defense Department has put the Army in charge of developing defences against drones with the goal of creating three to five weapon systems designed for different types of attacks, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Ellen Lord told reporters on Tuesday.
"We have just named the Army as the executive agent for counter UAS [unmanned aerial systems] within the department," Lord said. "My goal is to make sure we have three to five systems that are tailored to a series of different types of threats."
Lord pointed out that the Defense Department faces a challenge of reviving the domestic US drone manufacturing industry after the Chinese drone maker DJI flooded the market with low-cost four-blade drones.
Low-cost Chinese drones "eroded our industrial base and really altered the landscape for the US government and for the small drone industry," Lord said.
Another obstacle is that different types of drones can target US military installations in the United States and overseas, Lord said, adding that the aircraft are small and difficult to detect with available sensor packages.
A September attack on two Saudi facilities, which briefly halted about half of the country’s oil output, demonstrated the urgency to develop effective counter-drone systems.
Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack but US officials blamed the strike on Iran.
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