Fractal Antenna Systems has announced a new acoustic array platform, JERECHO, designed as a testbed for emerging sound-based defense technologies. The company says the system is intended to support research and proof-of-concept demonstrations in areas including counter-drone detection, acoustic disruption, electronic spoofing and other forms of experimental effects.
According to the announcement, JERECHO is built around Fractal’s Acoustic Resonance Mitigation (ARM) framework, a technology the company patented in 2015. Fractal says ARM formed the basis of early attempts to use acoustic methods for counter-UAS purposes, though the company claims it saw limited adoption in the U.S. and was replicated by foreign entities. JERECHO incorporates additional patent-pending features and has been recognized with a 2025 Military & Aerospace Innovation Award.
“Sound waves have long had their place in defense, but we now see a new era emerging – ‘acoustic electronic warfare’ – defined by novel ways of directing and controlling sound and medium, and thwarting devices that are surprisingly sensitive to sound interaction,” said FRACTAL CEO Nathan Cohen.
A testbed for defensive acoustic technologies
The company describes the system as a wideband acoustic array capable of both sensing and projecting sound, allowing it to serve as a developmental platform for “soft-kill” counter-drone techniques. Fractal says the system can listen for, locate and attempt to disrupt drones by producing targeted acoustic effects.
The platform is also intended to explore how sound interacts with the surrounding medium, an approach Fractal says differs from conventional acoustic technologies. The company highlights its use of fractal-based array design techniques to shape and direct acoustic output.
They system was reportedly successful in inducing interference effects on electronics such as smartphone compasses or small drone cameras when operated under controlled conditions. These demonstrations were framed as evidence of potential vulnerability of commercial devices to acoustic interference.
While Fractal positions JERECHO as part of the growing interest in counter-UAS research, the company also links the system to other potential applications, including laser enhancement studies, medium-manipulation experiments and electronic spoofing research. JERECHO is not presented as a fielded weapon system but as a modular research tool for government or industry partners exploring sound-based defensive technologies.
VERWANDTER INHALT: Ukraine nutzt akustische Sensoren zur Verfolgung ankommender Drohnen
Post Image Credit:
Follow C-UAS Hub on LinkedIn for regular counter-UAS content updates.
