ROME, N.Y. – U.S. Air Force researchers needed an electronics open-systems architecture design for counter-small unmanned aircraft systems. They found their solution from Black River Systems Co. Inc. in Utica, N.Y.
Officials of the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome, N.Y., announced a $76.5 million order to Black River last week for Operational Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System (C-sUAS) open systems architecture.
Black River engineers will find ways to enhance and commercialize C-sUAS technology quickly, based on an approach that Black River worked on previously for the Air Force to support rapid research, development, prototyping, demonstration, evaluation, and transition of C-sUAS capabilities.
The company is developing a flexible, rapid, agile contracting vehicle to support rapid prototyping and transition of counter small unmanned aircraft system enabling technologies to current and future programs.
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These enabling technologies will be for combating commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as quadcopters that U.S. enemies use in non-traditional warfare and terrorist operations.
Black River is focusing on enabling technologies and prototypes for evaluation, and ways for the U.S. military to acquire these capabilities quickly in small quantities. The company will provide software, hardware, technical documentation and technical reports.
On this order Black River will do the work in Utica, N.Y., and should be finished by May 2023. For more information contact Black River Systems Co. online at www.blackriversystems.com, or the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate at www.afrl.af.mil/RI.
