The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), in close coordination with US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Indo-Pacific Command, has announced ten finalists in its Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System (C-sUAS) Low-Cost Sensing (LCS) challenge.
These companies were selected from a competitive pool of 118 submissions and will advance to demonstrate their sensor technologies during USNORTHCOM’s Falcon Peak exercise this September.
“The evolving threat from unmanned aerial systems demands that we leverage every tool at our disposal – from cutting-edge commercial solutions to robust partnerships across government and industry,” said DIU Director Doug Beck.
“This challenge directly supports DOD’s strategic priorities by tapping into non-traditional defense companies to develop scalable, cost-effective sensing solutions that help our forces at home and abroad to identify threats with the speed and fidelity needed to counter them.”
The selected solutions span various sensor modalities, including passive radio frequency detection, active radar, acoustic sensors, optical and infrared cameras, and hybrid technologies. These approaches promise to enhance coverage while potentially reducing the total cost of ownership by 50–80% compared to current Department of Defense systems.
The ten finalists are:
- BLUEiQ
- CHAOS 1
- Fortem Technologies
- Guardian RF
- Hidden Level
- MatrixSpace
- REVOBEAM
- Squarehead Technology
- Teledyne FLIR Defense
- Thalrix
Launched in May 2025, the LCS challenge aims to complement high-end sensor systems with scalable, affordable, and distributed sensing technologies. The initiative addresses the growing need for broad situational awareness to defend against small UAS threats with reach, redundancy, and resiliency.
“These ten finalists represent the forefront of sensor innovation, demonstrating how diverse technological approaches can enhance our layered defense,” said Director of Replicator 2, David Payne.
“Our collaboration with USNORTHCOM, the US Army, and other partners has been instrumental in aligning this effort with the Department’s most critical sensing needs. Ultimately, this prize challenge is about helping to provide the tools to extend cost-effective sensing capabilities to our most critical installations.”
The finalists will now proceed to live demonstrations at Falcon Peak 25.2, where their technologies will be tested in real-world conditions. Prize money will be awarded based on performance during the event.
In addition to the prize money, top-performing companies may be considered for follow-on opportunities, including Other Transaction (OT) agreements, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), and direct transition into operational use – accelerating the delivery of these capabilities to the warfighter at scale.
Post Image Credit: Defense Innovation Unit.
