Counter-UxS Architecture Unifies Sensor Fusion & Layered Defense in Trials

A live demonstration of the BAE Systems Anti Threat System in Scotland has validated an open, modular counter-uncrewed system architecture capable of executing the complete sense, decide, and effect mission chain against emerging aerial threats.

Traditional approaches to counter-UxS operations face growing challenges keeping pace with uncrewed platforms, tactics, and attack methods that evolve at an unprecedented rate. Rather than relying on a standalone sensor or single countermeasure, the BAE Systems Anti Threat System (BATS) employs a scalable, modular framework designed to integrate multiple sensors, intelligence sources, and effectors into a unified operational capability. This architecture allows operators to detect, evaluate, and engage threats in real time while retaining the flexibility to adapt as technologies evolve across aerial, maritime, and subsea domains. The open system accommodates hardware and software from BAE Systems, third-party providers, and existing customer inventories.

The trial evaluated the system across three distinct operational phases, beginning with a critical infrastructure protection scenario focused on detection and situational awareness. Utilizing data collected from passive sensing modalities, BATS synthesized information into a single Common Operational Picture, enabling operators to identify, classify, and track aerial activity across the Area of Responsibility. The fusion process distinguished genuine hostile targets from routine airborne traffic, reducing cognitive workload while raising operational confidence during decision-making.

A second scenario assessed command-and-control workflows and proportionate response options within a complex battlespace featuring multiple autonomous systems. By cross-correlating multi-sensor data, the system assisted operators in distinguishing between friendly, neutral, and hostile platforms before calculating and recommending specific courses of action. For engagement, operators executed a non-kinetic soft-kill response using Kirintec’s K-CEMA radio frequency jamming system against a designated hostile drone, neutralizing the platform while minimizing risk and collateral damage.

The final demonstration introduced a more complex tactical environment requiring target classification across varied drone categories and the deployment of layered defensive responses. Drawing on combined active and passive sensing feeds, BATS fused data to support target identification and recommend engagement options, which included an integrated gun system alongside an end-to-end electronic warfare kill-chain. The integration demonstrated how the platform delivers a layered defense across military and civilian environments by coordinating multi-source data, operator decision support, and tailored effectors.

Addressing the system’s ongoing trajectory, the development team confirmed, “While we complete the assurance phases of our development, we are also already implementing the next stages of the BATS roadmap.” The team added, “The threat landscape doesn’t stand still, so neither do we.”