Army Assessment Validates Trust Automation’s SUADS in Combat Training

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Trust Automation, Inc., a leading Program Of Record C-UAS provider to The Department of War and a three-decade leader in actuation and power systems for defense and commercial industries, announced the successful completion of a U.S. Army operational assessment of its Small-Unmanned Air Defense System (SUADS) during National Training Center rotation 26-08 at Fort Irwin, California.

Conducted with the 703rd Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, the assessment evaluated SUADS in a large-scale combat operations training environment under ongoing unmanned aircraft system (UAS) threat. Data from the exercise shows that SUADS was able to enhance force protection through early detection and identification of hostile UAS in the battlespace.

During the rotation, Trust Automation’s SUADS detected and engaged UAS between approximately two and six kilometers away, with potential coverage extending to approximately seven kilometers under favorable conditions. Defeat effectiveness exceeded approximately 75 to 80 percent, while operator observations indicated the system was even more effective at preventing hostile UAS from successfully completing their missions. Interview participants were also not aware of any enemy UAS that penetrated the defended area as a threat within the identified operational ranges without first being detected by the system.

“UAS are increasingly being used to find, track and target forces on the battlefield, making early awareness critical to protecting soldiers and keeping operations moving,” said MAJ Patrick Smith, Battalion Executive Officer. “The system consistently provided layered surveillance, early warning, positive target identification, and electronic defeat of hostile UAS before enemy systems could successfully conduct reconnaissance, target acquisition, or attack missions.”

Trust Automation’s integrated system combined radar, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors, NINJA and DroneBuster to provide greater effectiveness than any of the technologies operating independently. This increased battalion survivability and reduced disruption, allowing logistics and command functions to continue despite ongoing UAS activity. The Army assessment concluded that SUADS demonstrated a credible, mature and operationally relevant C-UAS capability for brigade support battalions.

Designed in alignment with the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), SUADS brings multiple sensors and effectors into a single integrated system while allowing individual technologies to be added or upgraded as capabilities and threats evolve. The approach is intended to extend the value of the underlying system as new C-UAS technologies become available without requiring wholesale replacement. Trust Automation is also developing a highly mobile SUADS variant to support tactical units operating at or near the Forward Line of Own Troops (FLOT), where forces jump frequently and C-UAS capability must be able to move with them.

“This assessment demonstrates how a layered by design C-UAS architecture can deliver meaningful capability to soldiers today while giving the Army room to evolve it for tomorrow,” said Ty Safreno, CEO of Trust Automation. “The threat is changing too quickly to replace an entire system every time a better sensor, effector or command-and-control technology becomes available. SUADS gives the Army a foundation that can incorporate those advances while continuing to build on an operationally relevant capability.”