Leonardo DRS, Moog receive counter-UAS weapons contract

July 20 (UPI) -- Leonardo DRS and Moog are partnering to develop a Counter-Unmanned Aerial System weapon platform under a $16 million U.S. Army contract, the companies announced earlier this week.

The C-UAV will include Moog's Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform turret. It will be mounted on the M-ATV armored vehicle to provide mobile protection against enemy UASs for ground troops.

The contract is part of the Army's Mobile Low, Slow Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Integrated Defense System program to develop and test systems for evaluation and future deployment.

"We are proud to support the Army's urgent requirement to protect soldiers from the growing threats by small unmanned aircraft," Aaron Hankins, vice president and general manager of DRS Land Systems said in a press release.

"This effort is a great example of industry collaborating with the Army to quickly provide soldiers with a crucial capability, and we are grateful for the opportunity to lead the effort,"

Small UAS systems have been rapidly proliferating across state militaries and non-state actors in war zones across the world, including small cheap models that can drop ordinance or explode on impact. Countermeasures under development range from lasers mounted on ships to handheld devices for ground troops.