SRC, Inc., a nonprofit defense research and development organization, will deliver the Fixed Site–Low, Slow, Small UAS Integrated Defeat System (LIDS) to the State of Qatar under a newly announced $1 billion Foreign Military Sales agreement with the U.S. government.
The contract represents the first international sale of LIDS, a layered counter-UAS package originally fielded by the U.S. Army. Under the agreement, SRC will supply detection, tracking, identification and electronic-warfare components designed to protect fixed-site locations such as military bases and critical infrastructure from low-altitude drone threats.
Key Features of LIDS
- Layered Detection: Integrates radar, radio frequency sensors and electro-optical/infrared cameras to locate UAS targets.
- Electronic Warfare: Provides modular jamming and spoofing capabilities to deny hostile drones access to GPS or command-and-control links.
- Defeat Options: Supports future integration of hard-kill effectors or interceptor drones as they become available.
- Modularity: Can be deployed in fixed installations or mounted on vehicles, offering flexibility for diverse operational scenarios.
SRC President and CEO Kevin Hair said:
“We’re proud that our proven systems will be deployed internationally to secure critical airspace, defend warfighters and protect high-value infrastructure.”
“In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, advanced sensing and electronic warfare capabilities are essential. This achievement reflects the strength of the LIDS team, the trust placed in us by our government partners and the operational relevance of American-engineered solutions.”
Qatar has invested heavily in air defense modernization in recent years, acquiring systems ranging from Patriot batteries to advanced command-and-control networks. The addition of LIDS aims to counter increasingly sophisticated drone and loitering-munition threats demonstrated in conflicts from the Middle East to Eastern Europe.
Fixed-site systems like LIDS are viewed as a critical layer in a multi-tiered air-defense architecture that also includes manned aircraft, surface-to-air missiles and point-defense guns.
Post Image Credit: RTX
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