The future of defence:
Integration and innovation in Counter-UAS

Graeme Forsyth, Counter-UAS and COMINT Product Manager at SPX Communication Technologies

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We live in a more openly contested and volatile world. This year, defence teams worldwide have focused on AI and technological innovation, multi-domain operations and other strategies to build resilience, agility and new forms of deterrence. As we go into 2025 and mounting global conflict and geopolitical unrest continue, these themes will remain important, but we expect a more significant - and crucial - focus on integration.

For example, the UK's Defence Secretary's 2030 vision aims to make soldiers more agile, integrated and resilient and influence the functionality and design of defence products and technology they greatly rely upon. In the US, Project Convergence 2024 sets out to increase the effectiveness of weapon systems and force protection across multinational forces, specifically integrating sensor data from drones and manned aircraft with missile defence systems. Meanwhile, NATO continues refining its Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) network of interconnected national and NATO systems comprising sensors, command and control assets, and weapons systems to improve European deterrence and operational readiness.

Nations are also strengthening ties and integrating their defence capabilities. The emphasis on collaborative programmes and alliances like NATO and AUKUS will drive joint development and procurement initiatives and give muscle across nations. Japan and South Korea's collaboration - supported by the US - exemplifies the growing trend towards more formalised defence partnerships to integrate intelligence and operational strategies to present a unified front against shared threats.

Nowhere is integration more important than in Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (Counter-UAS) and Communications Intelligence (COMINT) capabilities since modern electronic warfare relies upon instant data and managing and understanding the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum to counter fast-evolving threats. For example, UAS have evolved at speed over the last few years, and countermeasures keep pace. A group of countries, including the Baltic states, Poland, Norway and Finland, are taking a common approach to protecting their borders and agreed to creating a “drone wall” as part of this effort. Meanwhile, the NATO European Sky Shield initiative, which currently includes 21 countries, aims to create an “Iron Dome” defence air system covering its members across Europe.

We expect greater integration at even more granular levels in the coming year. For example, vendors more closely collaborating and working with broader industry and defence teams to deliver more advanced capabilities - which would otherwise be impossible for a single manufacturer to achieve at the speed and scale needed to keep up with global unrest and conflict.

In this context, SPX Communication Technologies is closely collaborating with defence forces and the broader industry to allow access to the most advanced set of technologies and deliver the right capabilities when they are needed the most. No single Counter-UAS provider can own all the tools and technologies to provide a best-in-class capability. Only through collaboration can defence teams access the latest systems needed to address the complexity and speed of the threats they face. Not only in support of present-day operations but also in helping preempt challenges likely to arise in the coming year and beyond.

Where old systems may fail - for instance, library systems are susceptible to frequent pattern alterations by malicious actors, resulting in compromised systems - collaborative solutions allow real-time data and response to any threat.

As a result, we've recently developed and launched a fully integrated, scalable and customisable system designed to detect, defeat and track hostile UAS and drones - the BLACKTALON Ecosystem. This offering combines our proven BLACKTALON Counter-UAS technology and decades of expertise in the space with a vendor-agnostic framework. The goal is to ensure the delivery of end solutions that meet every customer's unique requirements, with defence and security teams gaining from a tailored approach to their specific Concept of Operations, threats, user groups, existing capabilities and budgets.

The core BLACKTALON solution includes carefully selected active radars, EOIR, passive RFDF, RF jammer and mast configuration. The open architecture of BLACKTALON Ecosystem allows any of these elements to be customised or replaced. This level of flexibility provides customers access to the latest systems and hardware capabilities without unnecessary barriers and in a suitable timeframe. For instance, teams can choose autonomous optical tracking from OpenWorks, cutting-edge 3D radar from US provider Echodyne, RF subsystems from SPX Communication Technologies and mount them on a range of dispersed or centrally located mobile or transportable masts to provide a single scalable BLACKTALON Counter-UAS capability.

Furthermore, SPX Communication Technologies integrates its proven capabilities into the BLACKTALON Ecosystem. This includes Blackbird software, which detects, identifies, direction-finds and tracks signals of interest to support, find, fix and strike operations and mitigate electronic warfare threats. It also includes the directional Claw RF inhibitor designed to disrupt and neutralise the threat posed by a UAS engaged in weaponised, hostile surveillance and other malicious acts by jamming signals.

To date, the Ecosystem is also supported by other leading providers, including radar and modular anti-drone systems manufacturer Advanced Protection Systems (APS); ground-based electronic scanning radar systems supplier for the front line Blighter; surveillance, fire control and large positioning systems supplier Chess Dynamics; automotive manufacturer Iveco Defence Vehicles (IDV); and doppler radar systems provider Weibel Scientific. And we're continually working on new integrations across the board.

The BLACKTALON Ecosystem also goes beyond hardware, representing an industry community and a collaborative approach that delivers the best and most suitable Counter-UAS capabilities on the market. SPX Communication Technologies is able and best placed to spearhead this initiative due to its longstanding relationships within the industry and with leading providers across the globe.

As interest in Counter-UAS continues to grow in 2025, new companies are expected to introduce themselves in the landscape, while manufacturers like SPX Communication Technologies will continue to reinforce their ongoing support to the industry and defence teams worldwide, backed by proven technologies and over seven years experience in Counter-UAS.

For more information please visit:
http://www.tcibr.com/blacktalon-ecosystem