Centennial, Colorado, April 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Liteye Systems, based in Denver Colorado, has announced the delivery of the first SHIELD system to the US Army (RCCTO) HEL (High energy laser) effort. The system was delivered on time and will now be readied for deployment. Liteye was awarded the multiple-year contract to integrate its SHIELD payload into the HEL C-sUAS effort last year.
The Army, acting as the Executive Agent for C-sUAS remains focused on the elimination of UAS threats. In a May 2021 Senate Armed Services Hearing, SECARMY, Christine Wormuth, said: “The Army needs to be very attentive to challenges like counter UAS for example.…those are absolutely areas that we need to be working on in terms of developing our capabilities and obviously being able to test our capabilities.”
The objective of the C-sUAS HEL prototype effort is to develop, integrate, manufacture, and ultimately test a prototype HEL System(s) in an operationally relevant environment. This contract enables the rapid prototyping of a near-production representative, cost-effective HEL System(s), which will be integrated with current military battle management systems.
Liteye’s SHIELD payload will provide the detection, tracking, and identification of Group 1 & 2 UAS in a range of combat environments which will utilize the new 3D SPYGLASS™ Radar developed in Colorado by Numerica Corporation. The HEL “hard kill” capability will be provided by a partner company and integrated with Liteye’s SHIELD payload to be tested and demonstrated during operational tests and evaluations. The platform integration of SHIELD will support the US Army’s maneuver capability in the Brigade Combat Teams and will also be compatible with robotic vehicles like Pratt & Miller’s Expeditionary Modular Autonomous Vehicle (EMAV).
“This effort represents months of focused effort by our engineering team and renews our strategic partnership with the US Army dating back to 2016 when we sent our first C-sUAS systems downrange to Iraq,” said Kenneth Geyer, CEO, and Co-Founder of Liteye Systems. “The current drone warfare raging in spots around the globe such as Ukraine and the middle east makes this delivery all that timelier.”
Liteye’s C-sUAS solutions can be layered with multiple effectors and battle management systems to Detect, Track, Identify and Defeat, threats operating in the Air, on the Ground, on the Surface, and in the Electromagnetic Spectrum. These solutions can be configured for customized Mission Platforms; fixed/semi-fixed, light vehicle/man-portable, mobile, and unmanned/uncrewed robotic vehicles. The Liteye services team provides 24/7 reach-back support, training, and system updates to ensure that the systems remain effective against the threats that are continuously increasing in complexity.
“On behalf of the Liteye team, we thank the US Army for their trust in our systems and our team as we move rapidly through the evolution of systems. We also thank our partners Numerica and Pratt & Miller along with a long list of other external stakeholders who played a part in bringing this contract to fruition,” said Geyer. Liteye is expecting additional contracts for the SHIELD systems in the coming weeks.
*Liteye is the exclusive provider of SPYGLASS Radar.
About the Joint C-sUAS Office (JCO): In November 2019, the Secretary of Defense designated the Army as the executive agent for Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) and in turn, the Secretary of the Army stood up the Joint C-sUAS Office (JCO) under a 2-Star Director within Army G-3/5/7 to address UAS threats while eliminating duplication and redundancies across the DoD.
About the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO): The SECARMY assigned the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) as the material and acquisition support for the JCO. The JCO and RCCTO work to develop, detect, track, identify, and defeat sUAS hazards and threats using synchronized solutions across the joint service domains.
About Liteye Systems, Inc. (www.Liteye.com): Colorado-based, Liteye Systems, Inc. is a world leader and technology solutions manufacturer and integrator of military and commercial Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) systems, manufacture of US AUDS, Drone Sense and Warn Systems, rugged high-resolution head-mounted displays (HMD), augmented sights, thermal surveillance systems, covert surveillance systems, electronic warfare packages, radar systems, and fire control software solutions. With offices in the UK and sales affiliates worldwide, Liteye is protecting critical infrastructure from real-world threats. Media Contact: Marya Mista mmista@liteye.com
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