Vigilant Aerospace has demonstrated its new FlightHorizon DEFENDER counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) as the first featured system for the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s new C-UAS centre located at Camp Gruber near Braggs, Oklahoma.
The demonstration showed FlightHorizon’s ability to detect, track and warn on unknown drones entering the airspace and approaching specific locations using a laptop and a small portable radar.
Conducted at the invitation of Col. Shane Riley, Director of Military Support for the Oklahoma National Guard, and coordinated by Craig Mahaney, CEO of the DronePort Network, the event hosted twenty National Guard and US Army members from across the US and was the first event of the new Counter-UAS Training Center at Camp Gruber.
Soldiers from several commands across the United States attended as well as representatives from the Cherokee Federal company and the Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education at Oklahoma State University.
Speaking at a press event for the new centre’s launch, Col. Shane Riley said, “We have been really concerned as an organisation and as a nation about the threats that are evolving around the world. And the concern for us specifically as a National Guard unit, is to provide force protection and capabilities for our maneuver formations.” Col. Riley also noted the complexities of the unmanned environment. “There’s a big challenge to go out and compete and fight in that unmanned systems environment, and it’s a complex environment to compete in. It takes a multi-disciplinary capability. Cyber, electronic warfare, aviation and aeronautics all have to get involved to solve those problems.”
The initial development of FlightHorizon DEFENDER was supported by a US Air Force AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, which the company completed in 2023. The product is currently in pre-release testing.
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Image: Vigilant Aerospace demonstrating FlightHorizon DEFENDER with radar and intruder drones flying at Camp Gruber for the Oklahoma National Guard.
