Defending against the swarm with a mobile counter-UAS architecture

The counter-unmanned aerial systems (c-UAS) battlespace has reached a critical juncture. As recent conflicts have demonstrated, inexpensive commercial drones can deliver outsized effects against sophisticated military assets — shifting the balance of power from state actors to small, agile adversaries. This new reality has driven urgent demand for scalable, cost-effective c-UAS solutions capable of operating across both military and civilian domains.

Honeywell’s c-UAS system — a stationary and mobile UAS reveal and intercept system — embodies that evolution. Designed for on-the-move (OTM) operations, Honeywell’s c-UAS system integrates multiple sensors and effectors through a single-pane-of-glass interface, enabling operators to detect, identify, and defeat threats in real time. Its layered architecture combines non-kinetic effectors, such as cyber takeover and electronic jamming, with kinetic countermeasures to neutralize targets across diverse operational environments.

Engineered with a modular, open architecture, Honeywell’s c-UAS system allows rapid configuration to mission needs, while AI-enabled threat recognition and response recommendations accelerate decision-making. Built-in cybersecurity and encryption safeguard the system from interference, ensuring resilience in contested domains.

To explore the shifting c-UAS landscape and Honeywell’s role in shaping its future, Breaking Defense spoke with Steve Hadden, Vice President and General Manager of Services & Connectivity at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies.

Breaking Defense: What is the current state of the counter-UAS threat environment?

Steve Hadden, Vice President and General Manager of Services & Connectivity at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies.

Steve Hadden: The threat environment is flashing bright red. Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb underscored how rapidly the battlespace is evolving. Small, inexpensive drones are now capable of delivering disproportionate effects against sophisticated, high-value targets. This proliferation of aerial threat technology has forced ministries and departments of defense worldwide to act with urgency.

Each operational context presents unique challenges. In an active combat zone like Ukraine, the focus is on rapid, decisive neutralization. In a domestic or urban environment, the calculus changes — you must differentiate between hostile and benign air traffic while minimizing risk to civilians and critical infrastructure. Identifying whether an object approaching an Air Force base is a hostile system, a flock of birds, or a hobbyist aircraft requires a highly integrated sensor architecture and rapid, automated decision support.

The other pressing challenge is cost. Affordable, scalable interdiction must evolve in step with the exponential growth in drone activity. Across the globe, experimentation is accelerating, and we’re approaching a genuine inflection point in how militaries detect, classify, and defeat unmanned threats.

How essential is a multi-layered approach to counter-UAS?

It’s absolutely fundamental. No single effector or detection technology can address the full spectrum of unmanned threats. The only viable solution is a layered, integrated defense architecture operating through a common command-and-control environment that dynamically aligns sensors and effectors based on the nature of the threat.

For example, if a drone’s signature is recognized from a known library, the system can immediately employ a non-kinetic response — such as jamming or cyber takeover — to neutralize it safely. We’ve demonstrated multiple successful drone takeovers and controlled landings in live trials. Expanding that to simultaneous, multi-target scenarios is where we see near-term advancement.

The Honeywell counter-UAS system integrates multiple sensors and effectors through a single interface, enabling operators to detect, identify and defeat threats in real time. (Photo courtesy of Honeywell.)

Beyond non-kinetics, there’s the physical interdiction layer — drone-on-drone systems, netting, or precision kinetic engagement. And for swarms, wide-area or broadband jamming and high-power microwave (HPM) effects represent the final shield. Underpinning all of this is sensor fusion — combining radar, LiDAR, optical, and infrared data to form a coherent operational picture. It’s analogous to an air traffic control visualization, but dynamic, threat-informed, and mission-adaptive.

That layered concept aligns with Honeywell’s c-UAS On-The-Move (OTM) system. Can you elaborate?

Honeywell’s c-UAS system was designed precisely for that operational flexibility. It integrates multiple sensor modalities — radar, electro-optical, and infrared — within a modular, open architecture that allows for rapid integration of third-party effectors. We’ve partnered with leading innovators in drone interdiction, netting systems, and cyber defense to build a comprehensive, adaptive toolkit — a “Swiss Army knife” for counter-UAS operations.

For swarm defense, Honeywell’s c-UAS system can distinguish between a flock of birds and a coordinated swarm, determine threat intent, and initiate the appropriate countermeasure. Wide-area jamming is typically a last resort; ideally, operators employ HPM effectors capable of neutralizing entire formations. Our modular trailer design allows users to integrate indigenous or allied HPM systems — providing sovereign flexibility across defense ecosystems.

The on-the-move configuration enhances situational awareness. Through a unified mission command interface, operators receive a unified operational picture that fuses sensor data and recommends prioritized response actions. Human latency — the time between detection and decision — is minimized through AI-assisted automation, but ultimate control remains with a qualified operator. As threats evolve toward coordinated, multi-swarm engagements, AI and autonomy become indispensable in maintaining real-time responsiveness.

How is Honeywell investing to stay ahead of emerging drone threats?

Honeywell’s model is to leverage its deep commercial technology base to accelerate defense innovation — bringing mature, scalable, and cyber-hardened solutions to the mission set without waiting for government funding cycles.

We’ve invested heavily in our core command software, which serves as the digital backbone for integrating sensors, effectors, and AI analytics. We maintain dedicated testbeds to validate and stress-test upgrades in controlled environments, ensuring each release is field-proven before deployment.

Equally important, we’ve expanded our customer support infrastructure — deploying highly trained field engineers and digital sustainment teams to keep systems operational across any theater. That end-to-end lifecycle support — design, validation, deployment, sustainment — is what sets Honeywell apart in this space.

What’s next for Honeywell’s counter-UAS strategy?

We’re focused on the next evolution of swarm defense — developing and demonstrating omni-directional broadband jamming and mobile high-power microwave systems that can engage complex, multi-vector threats. Conducting those demonstrations safely requires specialized test environments, which we’re now scaling globally.

You’ll also see new configurations of Honeywell’s c-UAS system designed for land, maritime, and border-security missions. The core system is platform-agnostic — able to mount on a truck, a boat, or a fixed site — providing unmatched mobility and interoperability.

Ultimately, our vision is a modular, AI-driven, all-domain counter-UAS ecosystem that adapts in real time to the operational environment. Modularity and scalability aren’t just design features — they’re the foundation for long-term deterrence and mission assurance in the age of autonomous threats.