Allen Control Systems (ACS), a US maker of robotic and counter-drone systems, said on Tuesday that it is setting up a Directed Energy division to offer high-energy lasers for downing drones to the US military and its allies.
ACS makes the Bullfrog, a mountable weapon station that uses artificial intelligence to track drones and fire small-calibre rounds at them. Former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said earlier this year that the Pentagon had bought 12 Bullfrog systems for the Iran war, Breaking Defense reported.
The company did not say what kind of laser the division will develop, though its website lists a dual-band laser dazzler and a three-kilowatt laser as future work. Chief executive Joe Bingold said producing a beam is only part of the task: “You still have to find a fast-moving threat, stay on target, and engage it with precision.”
The division will be led by Amanda Clark, until recently chief of the directed energy division at the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command, and John Mason, who led the command's directed energy technologies branch.
Also reported by Unmanned Airspace
Background
Allen Control Systems
Counter-drone company
A US robotics and counter-drone company that makes the Bullfrog weapon station.
Bullfrog
Counter-drone weapon station
A mountable counter-drone system that uses AI to track and shoot at drones with small-calibre ammunition.
Joe Bingold
Chief executive of Allen Control Systems
The chief executive and president of Allen Control Systems.
