The US Army's Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS) offers a solution to the growing threat of small unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Off-the-shelf UAS with simple modifications to drop grenades and other explosives make it increasingly easy for hostile actors to attack military personnel and civilian infrastructure.

These drones can slip through many conventional missile defense systems by flying low and slow, making them harder to detect and intercept.

Their ability to penetrate traditional missile defense capabilities presents a serious threat to Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) -- command and control systems that unite sensors, weapons, communications and fire control.

IAMD systems are designed to provide 360-degree protection to vital areas against aerial threats, whether these are launched missiles or adversary aircraft.

The US Department of Defense tested more than 40 counter-UAS systems before selecting FS-LIDS as the most robust approach to detect, track, identify and defeat small UAS.

In November 2022, the US State Department approved a potential sale of 10 FS-LIDS to Qatar in an effort to expand Qatar's aerial defense capabilities and counter the proliferation of UAS in the Middle East.

Counter-UAS solutions

LIDS is deployable either as mobile units (M-LIDS) or from fixed, relocatable platforms (FS-LIDS), enabling it to provide stationary support for an installation, asset or site as well as a mobile configuration.

The system is comprised of multiple components that ensure the broadest array of detection and defense capabilities.

Its electro-optical infrared camera, direction-finding sensors and AN/TPQ-50 multi-mission radar offers cutting-edge and highly accurate detection capabilities, ensuring no UAS slip through the cracks.

Once the detection and identification are complete, FS-LIDS has several options to engage and defeat a UAS.

The system contains electronic warfare technology that can "soft-kill" drones, jamming their communications and navigation capabilities and preventing them from reaching their targets.

Alternatively, FS-LIDS can employ an XM914 30mm chain gun or a Coyote Block 2+ Interceptor.

The Coyote is a family of jet-engine-powered, expendable UAS that can strike targets and neutralize enemy drones with an effective range of up to 15km when ground launched. The Coyote Block 2 missiles can down either a single drone or defeat entire swarms, according to its manufacturer.

Paired with FS-LIDS' advanced detection capabilities, the Coyote offers advanced aerial defense against smaller systems -- at range and at altitude.