by Yevheniia Martyniuk

03/05/2025

3 minute read

The Pentagon wants to stop drones without harming civilians—Ukraine showed how hard that is

Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) will issue a solicitation next week for new counter-drone technologies designed to neutralize threats in populated areas with minimal risk to civilians and the environment, Defense News reports.

The effort is part of the second phase of the Pentagon’s Replicator initiative, which aims to rapidly scale high-need defense capabilities.

DIU Director Doug Beck told lawmakers on 1 May that the organization is focused on “low-collateral interceptors” that can disable drones using electronic, kinetic, or ballistic means with reduced risk to bystanders.

“It’s really about those low-collateral interceptors… and getting after those solutions,” Beck said during a House Armed Services subcommittee hearing.

Pentagon races to scale defenses

Replicator 2 shifts the program’s focus to defending against small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS), building on the original goal of fielding thousands of low-cost drones by late 2024. Beck said the capability exists, but the military faces a capacity problem.

“We need to be doing much, much more,” he added, calling for greater speed, scale, and funding flexibility.

Military officials emphasized the urgency of developing systems suitable for complex environments. Lt. Gen. Eric Austin of the Marine Corps pointed to ongoing work on the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) and a new prototype counter-UAS system for dismounted Marines, expected to be fielded this year.

“We’re happy, but we’re not satisfied,” Austin said.

The DIU is working closely with the Army-led Joint Counter-Uncrewed Aerial Systems Office (JCO) and has indicated a preference for affordable, commercially available solutions. Sunmin Kim, DIU’s Chief of Policy, highlighted passive radio frequency radars as a lower-cost, lower-risk alternative to traditional active sensors.

Though Ukraine was not directly referenced during the hearing, the war has underscored the challenges of drone defense in urban areas. There, both drone strikes and the debris from intercepting them have posed serious risks to civilians — a scenario the Pentagon appears eager to avoid through improved technologies.

The US Department of Defense recently finalized a classified counter-UAS strategy and has designated two combatant commands — US Northern Command and Indo-Pacific Command — as leads in coordinating defense efforts against these threats.