As drones become common on the battlefield, companies are finding ways to protect against them. ATSC's DroneSting is weapon of the week.

Ryan Robertson Anchor/Reporter

ATSC’s DroneSting: Innovating Anti-Drone Technology: Weapon of the Week

Wednesday

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Ryan Robertson Anchor/Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor/Reporter), Brett Baker (Senior Producer), Brian Spencer (Video Editor), Dakota Piteo (Senior Motion Designer)

The saying “necessity is the mother of invention” holds true, especially in armed conflict. As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, innovations in drone warfare are emerging. Organizations like the Virginia-based Advanced Technology Systems Company (ATSC) are taking notice, that’s why its DroneSting is the weapon of the week.

From air to ground and sea, Ukraine adapts drones to exploit Russia’s defenses. American defense contractors, like ATSC, have followed these developments since Russia’s invasion in 2022.

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What’s DroneSting’s tactical edge?

“We aim to take people out of harm’s way by using unmanned systems at the tactical edge,” said Paul Debs, president of ATSC. “This allows us to use our people in other functions and force multiply with unmanned units.”

ATSC’s DroneSting is a versatile counter-unmanned aerial system designed to detect and neutralize drones. It adapts to various environments, offering stationary and mobile options for layered defense.

How is the DroneSting used?

The system can detect, identify, track and defeat both single and swarm drones. It uses RF detection and geolocation to pinpoint drone and pilot locations.

“Our systems are modular, allowing us to swap payloads based on mission requirements,” Debs explained. “We can scale up to medium and longer-range defeat weaponry.”

Debs said he and his company build these systems for rugged terrain, unimproved roads and highways.

“Missions can be unpredictable, so our platforms must adapt to any environment,” Debs said.

ATSC is a trusted partner of the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of State and other government agencies. The company provides solutions in communication, systems integration, cybersecurity, force protection and logistics. Its expertise covers air, land and sea operations, ensuring optimal results for clients.

What makes the DroneSting different?

ATSC designed the DroneSting system to be flexible and adaptable. Operators can deploy the drone in various configurations, including fixed installations, mobile units and even on naval vessels. This versatility makes it a valuable asset in diverse operational environments.

The system’s AI and machine learning capabilities enhance its effectiveness. It can automatically detect and classify potential threats, reducing the workload on human operators. This allows for quicker and more accurate responses to emerging threats.

ATSC’s commitment to innovation extends beyond drone defense. It is also involved in developing advanced communication systems, cybersecurity solutions and force protection measures.

The company’s goal is to provide comprehensive solutions that address the evolving needs of modern warfare.

While there is no official word on a buyer for the DroneSting yet, ATSC is involved in projects with the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, federal law enforcement and coalition partners. It may only be a matter of time before DroneSting is in American operators’ hands.

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Tags: Chinese drones, Drones, kamikaze drones, Navy, Radio, Reaper drones, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, Ukraine, Weapons

[Ryan]

YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD THE SAYING “NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION”

BUT SO TOO IS ARMED CONFLICT.

WITH THE WAR IN UKRAINE ENTERING ITS THIRD YEAR, WE’RE ALSO SEEING COUNTLESS INNOVATIONS IN DRONE WARFARE.

IT’S A DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE VIRGINIA-BASED ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS COMPANY, ALSO KNOWN AS ATSC, ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO. THAT’S WHY THEIR DRONE STING IS OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK.

FROM THE AIR TO THE GROUND AND THE SEA, UKRAINE IS SHOWING AN AMAZING ABILITY TO ADAPT DRONES TO EXPLOIT OPPORTUNITIES IN RUSSIA’S DEFENSES.

IT’S A DEVELOPMENT AMERICAN DEFENSE CONTRACTORS, LIKE ATSC, HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING SINCE RUSSIA’S ILLEGAL INVASION IN 2022.

[Paul Debs, President, Advanced Technology Systems Company]

“We, as a provider of some of these systems to help defeat those threats, are trying to take people out of harm’s way by putting unmanned systems at the tactical edge or in the front, to be able to defeat those threats, so that we can use our people in other functions. Instead of, you know, taking force power and having it be strictly Manning these things from a distance. You know, we’re able to force multiply by having unmanned units out and then, you know, letting things like someone. Our AI backbone and some of our command and control software take a lot of that burden off of operators.”

[Ryan]

ENTER ATSC’S DRONE-STING.

TOUTED AS A VERSATILE COUNTER-UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS SOLUTION DESIGNED TO DETECT AND NEUTRALIZE INDIVIDUAL AND SWARM DRONES, DRONE-STING CAN ADAPT TO VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTS, OFFERING STATIONARY AND MOBILE OPTIONS THAT PROVIDE A LAYERED DEFENSE SYSTEM.

[Paul Debs, President, Advanced Technology Systems Company]

“So all the systems that we build, or the systems that we build are all modular. So what that means is we can swap payloads based off of mission requirements. So a lot of things are going to be determined by mission type, range and then weight. So in this case, what you see here is, you know, like a 249 you know, call it little more shorter range system for the kinetic defeat, but these can be scaled up to, you know, medium and longer range type of defeat weaponry.”

[RYAN]

ANOTHER POINT OF EMPHASIS FOR ATSC, PUTTING THEIR COUNTER DRONE SYSTEMS ON VEHICLES THAT ARE BUILT FOR WHATEVER THE SITUATION CALLS FOR.

[Paul Debs, President, Advanced Technology Systems Company]

“Where the mission goes can be pretty unpredictable from one day to the next. And so you need to have platforms that, you know, we’re putting our systems on, that are able to adapt to wherever you know, the mission takes us. And so rugged terrain, unimproved terrain, you know, highway roads, that’s what these are built for. For them to be adaptable in any environment.”

[Ryan]

NO OFFICIAL WORD ON A BUYER JUST YET, BUT, ATSC IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN PROJECTS WITH THE US ARMY, AIR FORCE, NAVY, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, AS WELL AS COALITION PARTNERS. SO IT MAY JUST BE A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE DRONE-STING IS IN THE HANDS OF AMERICAN OPERATORS.