Australia wants to better protect its soldiers against a threat that has become common on the front, small, cheap and difficult to detect drones. For this, the Australian Defense Forces have awarded a contract to the British company OpenWorks within the program Land 156an initiative of 1.3 billion Australian dollars to strengthen its anti-drone capabilities, according to Defense Blog.
The company will supply your system Vision Guardan intelligent surveillance platform designed to detect drones before they become an immediate threat. It is not intended to replace large air defense systems, but rather to cover an increasingly important gap on the battlefield. Soldiers operating far from those defenses need early warning that they can carry and deploy without complications.
Vision Guard is designed precisely for that use. OpenWorks ensures that main equipment and supporting sensors fit into a standard military backpack. One unit can transport it on foot, move it into position and have it running in less than two minutes. For troops deployed in disputed areas, that speed can make the difference between detecting a drone in time or seeing it when it is already overhead.
The system combines panoramic surveillance with detection software based on artificial intelligence. Its goal is to identify and track small drones over long distances, especially so-called drone drones. class 1a category that includes military and commercial unmanned devices smaller size.
Although they may seem irrelevant compared to more sophisticated systems, these drones have become one of the most persistent problems in current conflicts. They are cheap, can be deployed in large quantities and serve both to observe enemy positions and to direct attacks or transport explosive charges. Ukraine has shown how much they can change the way we fight even when using adapted business models.
One of the advantages of Vision Guard is that it does not depend on a single configuration. You can integrate active and passive sensors, including radar and acoustic sensorsaccording to the needs of the mission. OpenWorks software then combines that data to improve detection and reduce operator workload. Instead of forcing the soldier to monitor multiple screens or signs, the system automatically classifies possible threats.
OpenWorks says it has developed Vision Guard with very strict requirements for size, weight and energy consumption. That detail is key in a system designed for small units. Every kilo counts when the team must move on foot and operate without constant support.
Australia is not the first country interested in this technology. Defense organizations Europe and USA They have already tested or deployed it. Vision Guard also participated in Project Vanaheima joint program of United Kingdom and USA focused on future interoperable anti-drone operations. The Australian contract fits into the trend of Western armies of use more distributed anti-drone defensescapable of accompanying troops on the front line.
James Crosscommercial director of OpenWorks, has defended that Vision Guard is designed to improve situational awareness of dispersed units. The company maintains its system can help Australia bolster a capability that has become urgent for any modern military.