How layered defense systems are adapting to ever-shifting drone threats

When it comes to countering small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS), the battlefield clock moves fast. In Ukraine, new drone tactics evolve weekly, driving a rapid innovation cycle for counter-UAS weapon system providers.

From drones hugging the tree line to evade radar, to fast and dynamic flight paths that defeat optical trackers, to swarms of dozens attacking simultaneously from all different directions, the threats have multiplied in complexity. The Pentagon’s demand signals reflect that urgency, spanning every service and the Coast Guard. 

Paul Stoelting, engineering director, Space and Defense Group, Moog

“There is not a magic bullet,” said Paul Stoelting, director of engineering for the Space and Defense Group at Moog, emphasizing that no single C-UAS answer will suffice. “It has to be adaptable and affordable, a low-cost-per-kill-type weapon that has to be scalable to what you’re trying to defend.”

For Moog, a company with decades of defense engineering experience, the goal is not to build a single exquisite weapon, but to create a range of flexible and affordable weapon systems that can scale to meet the ever-changing C-UAS threat. 

Building a layered and modular defense

The Department of War is countering the drone threat with layered defense solutions that range from platoon-level protection up through brigade assets, and from mobile vehicles to static sites like airfields or missile batteries. That layering must extend across the detect, track, and defeat kill chain, and it has to accommodate rapid integration with new sensors and command-and-control (C2) systems. 

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to address counter-UAS,” said Stoelting. “The Army is calling it a Military Occupational Specialties (MOS)-agnostic approach, so they’re moving fast too.”

Moog’s C-UAS products reflect that layered and modular approach. Three complementary elements form the backbone of its offerings: the Reconfigurable Integrated-weapons Platform (RIwP), the Flexible Mission Platform (FMP), and the Weapon Stores Management System (SMS). 

RIwP merges precision motion control, sensors, and fire control into a single unmanned turret. A PlayStation-like hand controller allows the gunner to operate remotely, while intelligent fire control and video tracking handle real-time tracking and targeting. FMP is a ruggedized pan-and-tilt mount that can also host a variety of sensors and/or weapons.

SMS is a Modular Open System Approach (MOSA)-compliant, commercial-off-the-shelf, weapon control system that integrates with sensors and mission management systems to provide aerial and ground operators with a superior fire-control solution. It can be installed on vehicles ranging from skid steers to helicopters to provide rapid weaponization. 

Andrew Layer, strategic opportunities manager for growth and innovation, Moog

“Moog’s counter-UAS position is bigger than just one product,” said Andrew Layer, strategic opportunities manager for growth and innovation at Moog. “We have a suite of offerings at different price points and varied sizes. Even the RIwP is multiple products under one platform, built to be reconfigured with any effector depending on the mission.”

Weapons, platforms, and artificial intelligence

RIwP is vehicle agnostic and has been integrated on a variety of platforms to include Stryker, Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV), and small, Tracked Robots. The FMP has been mounted on Humvees and light trucks. SMS has been installed on fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, including the UH-60 Black Hawk. However, the modularity of Moog’s products extend beyond payloads and platforms. RIwP can carry guns, such as the 30mm Bushmaster cannon, air-defense missiles such as Stinger, Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), and Coyote as well as a variety of sensors. “The reconfigurability is deliberate,” said Layer. “You can send RIwP out one day with Stingers, bring it back the next day and configure it with APKWS.” 

Moog is investing to deliver operator-centric capability for smart, fast, and robust target tracking using artificial intelligence and sensor fusion. Working to enable a single gunner to operate multiple remote systems, Moog’s team has developed its own autonomous fire-control system, consisting of an edge computer running fusion and detection algorithms. This advanced tracking and targeting capability can be deployed onto legacy systems, such as RIwP, using existing interfaces, allowing fielded weapons to evolve with the changing UAS threat. 

“Over the last year, we’ve taken our advanced targeting system into the field and have demonstrated several new capabilities,” said Layer. “Number one, we can fire without radar. We’re using AI/ML to do passive range estimation for what we call silent-watch, firing on aerial targets without emitting.”

“Number two, we are speeding things up. We are using edge processing and autonomous targeting to dramatically reduce the time from detect to defeat, a key enabler for remote operation.”

“And most importantly, our on-board AI maintains targets through the most difficult tracking conditions; cluttered backgrounds, muzzle flash, and dynamic maneuvers.”

These advanced capabilities make Moog’s systems responsive, resilient and reliable; providing kinetic weapons an advantage in the air-defense fight.

Moog’s counter-UAS systems are installed on vehicles to offer mobile counter-drone defense capabilities. (SGT Stout Program; photo courtesy of U.S. Army)

Demonstration and moving at the speed of change

“Moog’s RIwP turret is redefining the counter-UAS battlespace, delivering unmatched performance across critical U.S. Army programs including SGT Stout, MLIDS 2.0, and MLIDS 2.1. Our leadership is not just measured by today’s capabilities, but by our relentless pursuit of tomorrow’s solutions—driven by deep user engagement, a culture of continuous innovation, and live-fire validation. In this rapidly evolving threat environment, Moog remains committed to staying ahead of the curve and empowering the warfighter with adaptable, mission-ready technology. We are not following the future—we are engineering it,” said Mike Gruver, SVP – Space and Defense Group, Moog.

Moog has taken systems to numerous live-fire and engineering experimentation events, including Project Convergence (PCC) at Fort Irwin, Northrop Grumman’s Bushmaster User Conference (BUC) at Big Sandy, and the Maneuver and Fires Integrated Experiment (MFIX) at Fort Sill. Additional engagements with OUSD R&E, US-CENTCOM, and DEVCOM-C5ISR, are driving the company’s research and innovation, with future capabilities and new products already underway. 

Globally Moog leverages a base of ninety-five sites across twenty-five countries, including a dedicated systems integration lab for counter-UAS. Said Stoelting: “We have an operational excellence 100/100 mantra, which is 100-percent quality, 100-percent on-time delivery. That fact itself has won us contracts.”