The closing day of the Tecnología Counter UAS EE.UU. conference brought together military leaders, researchers and international partners to highlight the evolving strategies, technologies and collaborations shaping the future of counter-UAS.

Below we summarise each of the key sessions from throughout the day and the topics they covered.

FCD Keynote Briefing

Colonel Marc Pelini, Military Deputy at the Fires Future Capabilities Directorate (FCD), opened the day with a keynote on improved C-sUAS capabilities for a strategic concept.

He emphasized the importance of rapidly integrating requirements, acquisition, and resources to deliver air and missile defense (AMD) capabilities faster to the warfighter.

Japan’s capabilities

Colonel Yuka Nakazato, Air and Space Attaché at the Embassy of Japan, provided insights into the security environment surrounding Japan.

She detailed current Japanese counter-UAS capabilities and outlined future plans for strengthening UAS and counter-UAS systems, reflecting Japan’s growing focus on regional defense resilience.

Australia’s roadmap

Colonel Ryan Orders, Director of Land Survivability for the Australian Army, shared the roadmap to success for an integrated C-sUAS capability.

He highlighted the importance of a sovereign industry base and strong partnership behaviors, reinforcing Australia’s commitment to building sustainable and independent defense solutions.

NATO panel – Strengthening collective defense

A multinational panel brought together NATO experts and military leaders, including Lee Mansell of NATO, Colonel Ryan Orders (Australia), Lt. Colonel Rüdiger Rauch (Germany), and Major Michel K.C. Koopman (Netherlands).

Key themes included:

  • Identifying gaps and challenges in coordinated C-UAS responses.
  • Lessons learned from recent conflicts, emphasizing adaptability in dynamic battlefields.
  • The need for joint training, exercises and common standards to ensure interoperability across allied forces.

US Army focus

In the afternoon, Brett Wade, C-UAS System Team Chair at ATEC, discussed the testing and integration of future US Army counter-UAS platforms.

ATEC’s role in rapid evaluation was highlighted, ensuring new technologies meet operational demands. Current projects supporting homeland defense initiatives were reviewed, alongside priorities for future testing.

Army Research Laboratory innovation efforts

The day concluded with a forward-looking session led by Dr. Randy Tompkins and Dr. Nicholas Fell from the Army Research Laboratory (ARL).

They showcased ongoing science and technology efforts in next-generation sensing for detection, identification and tracking. Novel effectors and cross-cutting research initiatives were presented, aimed at enabling future counter-UAS capabilities that can outpace evolving threats.

CONTENIDO RELACIONADO: Highlights from day 1 of the Counter UAS Technology USA conference

Post Image Credit: Katie Ogden

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