Alpine Eagle Showcases Sentinel Air-to-Air Counter-Drone System in UK–US Military Trial

Alpine Eagle, creators of the Sentinel air-to-air counter-drone system, successfully demonstrated its air-to-air anti-drone system in a joint military trial involving British and US forces.

The trial was part of Project Vanaheim, a program run by the UK Ministry of Defence to find new methods for detecting, tracking, and defeating Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) threats, which took place this summer.

The exercise was held in response to lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine, where autonomous drone warfare has become a significant factor. Alpine Eagle’s Sentinel system is described as the world’s first air-to-air counter-drone system. It is designed to detect and classify small drones and can be integrated into existing hardware to protect military personnel, assets, critical national infrastructure, and other sensitive sites.

According to Alpine Eagle, there is a critical capability gap in effective counter-drone systems that can be deployed at scale. The company states that the impact of this gap has been seen in battlefield scenarios and incidents like the 2018 Gatwick Airport drone incursion, which grounded 1,000 flights. Alpine Eagle’s technology has already been supplied to the German military.

In a move to expand its presence, Alpine Eagle has appointed Michael Golden as its Commercial Director and Head of UK. Michael Golden, a former Royal Navy aerospace engineer and management consultant, will be responsible for driving UK market expansion, establishing strategic partnerships with British military suppliers, and championing the development of European defense technology capabilities. The company views the UK as a key location for investment in manufacturing and hiring to develop new products for future export.

Michael Golden commented, “Whilst a huge amount of attention has been focused on drone technology, there has been very little energy dedicated to developing systems that can reliably and effectively protect against the thousands of drones being used in warfare, until now. The UK and Europe face the same challenge, and the UK’s military strength and influence on the world stage mean that it must be an integral part of the solution. We have to do this together, and that means that any solution built has to be by Europe, including the UK, for Europe. All of us together.”

Jan-Hendrik Boelens, founder and CEO of Alpine Eagle, said: “The fundamental shift in how war is being fought in Ukraine demonstrates how national governments need to transform their thinking behind technology, procurement and warfare. By investing in local talent like Michael, developing strategic partnerships with local businesses and developing local manufacturing capacity, we’re committed to working with the UK as part of our wider mission to build European defence capabilities that can protect European interests.”