KIRKLAND, Wash. — Radar developer Echodyne and defense robotics company ACS have signed a strategic collaboration agreement to integrate Echodyne's EchoShield radar with ACS's Bullfrog robotic weapon station for counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) operations.
The companies plan to develop and test the combined system for military installations, mobile forces and maritime platforms. The agreement follows separate awards to both companies from Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) for Domestic Shield and the task force's C-UAS Marketplace.
Bullfrog uses computer vision, automated control and precision robotics to help existing weapons detect, track and engage drones. Echodyne's radar will supply additional information about a drone's location and movement, allowing Bullfrog to direct its sensors toward a target earlier and continue tracking it as it maneuvers.
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Integrating radar with robotic weapons
EchoShield provides position and velocity measurements for drones operating at different speeds and along different flight paths.
The radar also supports open interfaces that allow tracking information to reach Bullfrog and other command-and-control (C2) systems. Echodyne developed EchoShield around its electronically scanned array technology, known as MESA. The architecture provides radar tracking capabilities in a compact package designed to limit weight, power consumption and cost.
The companies will combine commercially manufactured radar with existing weapons and ammunition rather than rely exclusively on specialized missile interceptors. They say this approach could lessen the cost of engaging drones while allowing forces to use weapons and ammunition already in service.
"Counter-UAS effectiveness begins with data quality," said Eben Frankenberg, CEO of Echodyne. "Bullfrog brings together advanced robotics, AI, and widely available weapons to solve one of the most urgent challenges facing defense forces today."
Maritime counter-drone operations
Echodyne and ACS also plan to support counter-drone missions aboard crewed and uncrewed maritime platforms. Bullfrog's compact design allows installation on different types of vessels, while EchoShield can provide radar tracking data as those platforms move. Echodyne says its radar is already being integrated aboard uncrewed surface vessels for maritime surveillance and counter-UAS applications.
The companies expect the combined system to help maritime operators monitor aerial and surface activity, track potential threats and direct Bullfrog's robotic weapon station toward targets.
Echodyne and ACS plan to continue integrated testing and participate in U.S. Department of War demonstrations to evaluate the system under representative operating conditions. Results from those activities will help guide further integration and address customer requirements.
