The U.S. Air Force has selected California‑based Trust Automation for a contract worth up to $490 million to accelerate development of counter‑UAS technologies, as small drone threats continue to expand across global operating environments.
The five‑year IDIQ contract, awarded in late December 2025, covers rapid research, prototyping, testing and eventual production of systems intended to detect and defeat Group 1 and Group 2 drones, now widely used for reconnaissance, harassment and, increasingly, weaponized attacks.
“We’re incredibly proud to have been selected for this critical C-UAS project,” said Ty Safreno, Trust Automation’s CEO. “This contract underscores our commitment to developing cutting-edge anti-drone technologies that address our most pressing security challenges, protect our armed forces and contribute to the safety of our nation.”
Trust Automation’s portfolio includes the Small Unmanned Air Defense System (SUADS), designed for fixed‑site defense and rapid deployment, along with the GAT UAS Jammer, a weapon‑mountable GNSS disruptor used by security forces to counter drone incursions. Work under the contract will be carried out at the firm’s San Luis Obispo facility through August 2030.
The award comes as the Air Force faces a rising tempo of drone activity over bases, training areas and deployed locations. Service leaders have repeatedly emphasized the need for scalable, layered defenses, particularly RF‑based systems, capable of keeping pace with the rapid evolution of commercial off‑the‑shelf drones.
Trust Automation is expected to expand its support to Air Force base defense and operational units throughout 2026, contributing to broader modernization efforts focused on adapting installations to a new generation of low‑altitude aerial threats.
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Post Image Credit: Trust Automation
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