The Defense Innovation Unit has selected contractors Auterion, ModalAI and Neros to prototype hardware and software solutions to electromagnetic interference, or EMI, on small unmanned aircraft systems’ communication.
The three companies’ prototype demonstration and testing will start two months after their contract awards, with completion expected after nine months, the DIU said Wednesday.
The Department of Defense’s innovation arm added that electromagnetic interference project drew proposals from 99 companies, with the awardees chosen through a competitive process.
According to the DIU, the three winning contractors are tasked to provide a resilient baseline solution enabling drone operators’ rapid response in electromagnetically contested environments.
The EMI initiative follows the NATO-Ukraine Defense Innovators Summit in Krakow, Poland, in June, which highlighted how electromagnetic interference impacts the battlefield. It supports the Blue UAS program that the DIU initiated in 2020 for rapid assessment of commercial drones for potential DOD use.
The program’s cleared list of drones includes the sUAS platforms of Blue Halo, Wingtra, Ascent AeroSystems, senseFly and Freefly Systems. The DIU’s Blue UAS cleared list updated May 2024 identified drone platforms from 14 companies.