Weaponized drones are a real threat and smaller drones called "small unmanned air systems" (sUAS) are such a potentially deadlier threat the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants the public to help them combat it.

In an effort to protect against the threats sUAS pose to military forces, DARPA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) asking for ideas and approaches to help improve protection. DARPA is looking for ways to defend against a variety of threats posed by sUAS'.

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"DARPA is interested in identifying novel, flexible, and mobile layered defense systems and component technologies to address this increasingly important issue as well as conventional threats," said Jean-Charles Ledé, program manager.

"We're looking for scalable, modular, and affordable approaches that could be fielded within the next three to four years and could rapidly evolve with threat and tactical advancements."

DARPA is interested in identifying novel, flexible, mobile layered defense systems and component technologies that could be used to improve force protection against a variety of sUAS threats and tactics. These systems must be fielded within the next three to four years, and are structured to rapidly evolve with threat and tactic advancements.

DARPA is interested in exploring the potential for developing and demonstrating system solutions, including sensors and effectors to enable detection, identification, tracking, and neutralization of sUAS threats.

The solution should be scalable and modular such that it could be deployed in multiple defense applications on a variety of platforms (vehicles and vessels). It's intended for the defense of fixed and mobile ground and naval forces.

DARPA will review the ideas it receives to determine their relevance to current systems and the technology's maturity. If DARPA is interested in a proposed solution, it will invite those who submitted it to a Mobile Force Protection workshop in Virginia this September.

DARPA is inviting private or public companies, individuals, universities, university-affiliated research centers, not-for-profit research institutions, foreign entities, and U.S. Government-sponsored laboratories to share their ideas with it.

Those interested in participating may submit a response to the RFI that is five pages in length, or shorter.  The guidelines can be found here.

TagsDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, small unmanned air systems, sUAS