Technology

US Army Debuts Rapid-Response Anti-Drone System in Poland

BY Guy D. McCardle

US Army soldiers in Poland used the BLADE system to detect and destroy drones within seconds during Project Flytrap 4.0 live-fire tests.

US soldiers establish radio communications during Project Flytrap at Bemowo Piskie Training Area, Poland. (US Army/DoD)

On August 1, at the Bemowo Piskie Training Area in northeast Poland, soldiers from the US Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment demonstrated the Army’s newest counter-drone technology in a live-fire event that underscored the growing importance of close-range aerial defense. The Ballistic Low Altitude Drone Engagement system, or BLADE, mounted on a Stryker armored vehicle, detected, tracked, and destroyed multiple drones during Project Flytrap 4.0.

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Soldiers engaged targets at ranges between 500 and 800 meters. Some drones were flown simultaneously, testing the system’s ability to switch between threats. In one instance, BLADE neutralized a target and shifted to a second within seconds.

For the Army, which faces a rising threat from low-cost, commercially available drones and coordinated swarms, this demonstration provided an important proof of concept.

BLADE: A Counter-UAS for Modern Battlefields

BLADE is a counter-unmanned aerial system (UAS) designed to shield ground forces from small, low-altitude drones. As these threats have become common on battlefields in Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere, the Army has accelerated efforts to develop flexible defenses that can be deployed quickly.

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BLADE combines radar, fire control software, and kinetic and non-kinetic effects to deliver a mobile and scalable solution.

Developed by the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, between 2016 and 2019, BLADE builds on the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station, or CROWS.

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CROWS allows gunners to remain protected inside vehicles while engaging external threats through optics, a viewing screen, and motorized gimbals. With BLADE, CROWS receives upgrades in the form of precision radar and specialized fire control software, enabling operators to track drones in motion and fire at continually updated intercept points.

The system can defeat drones at 800 meters if stationary and at 500 meters if moving. Weapons include the M2 .50 caliber machine gun and grenade launchers, firing controlled bursts aimed by automated calculations. In addition to “hard-kill” effects, BLADE carries “soft-kill” tools that jam communications and navigation signals. This allows disruption of drone operations or preparation for follow-up kinetic strikes.

BLADE prototype
BLADE prototype on a truck during the 2019 engineering test. (DVIDS)

Soldiers can employ the system in daytime or nighttime conditions, across varied terrain, and on multiple vehicle platforms including the Abrams, Bradley, Stryker, and High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV).

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Training and Combined Exercises

Project Flytrap 4.0 served as the final iteration of a series of counter-drone training events. Previous Flytrap exercises focused on command-and-control and electronic countermeasures. This event shifted emphasis to kinetic engagements.

Soldiers from the United Kingdom’s 1st Royal Yorkshire Regiment joined the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in combined operations, underscoring NATO interest in developing unified responses to drone threats.

In addition to BLADE, soldiers tested the Collaborative Networked Autonomous Lethality Technology software, known as CNALT. This application, also developed by the Armaments Center, accelerates the kill chain—the process of identifying, prioritizing, and engaging targets.

CNALT processed data from BLADE’s radar, classified aerial tracks, and generated engagement recommendations for operators and commanders in real time.

Training required only about 15 minutes, showing its accessibility to soldiers already familiar with CROWS.

During scenarios, CNALT enabled operators to ingest real-time sensor data, quickly categorize drones, and feed the information directly to BLADE for targeting. The shortened decision cycle meant faster reactions against drones moving unpredictably across the battlespace.

Rapid Deployment and Soldier Feedback

One of the key takeaways from Project Flytrap 4.0 was the Army’s ability to field new systems quickly.

Within two weeks of request, Armaments Center engineers shipped BLADE components from New Jersey to Poland, installed the equipment on a Stryker vehicle, and had it ready for soldier training. This rapid deployment demonstrated the program’s ability to meet Defense Department demands for speed in adapting to evolving battlefield challenges.

Soldier feedback also provided valuable insights. Jonathan Gann, a mechanical engineering technician with the Armaments Center, helped oversee installation and later observed the system in action.

Soldiers shared tactics, techniques, and procedures for using BLADE in both stationary and mobile formations. Their comments highlighted areas for refinement, while also reinforcing the system’s potential to transform counter-drone operations in dynamic environments.

Maj. Jared Whitaker, deputy chief G31 from V Corps, noted the system’s intuitive design. Already proficient in CROWS, he adapted to the additional counter-drone steps within an hour of initial exposure.

Whitaker emphasized that radar training was necessary to achieve fluidity in engagements, but he also stressed that BLADE had shifted counter-drone operations from “impossible to possible.”

Building Toward a Multi-Tier Defense

Since achieving technology readiness level six in 2019, BLADE has taken part in multiple Army experiments and exercises, including Project Convergence, the Maneuver Fires Integrated Exercise, and Red Sands – Operation Hard Kill. Each event has provided data to refine tactics and technology.

Project Flytrap 4.0 added another layer of operational insight and confirmed BLADE’s ability to work under combined arms conditions with allied forces.

Proposed Tiered Defense
US Army developing a six-layer air and missile defense system, starting with BLADE for drones and scaling up to lasers and missile interceptors for larger threats. (CCDC/DVIDS)

BLADE is intended as the first tier in a larger Army air and missile defense network. While higher-end systems such as Patriot batteries counter larger, high-altitude threats, BLADE addresses the small, low-flying drones that traditional defenses struggle to detect and engage. By combining kinetic fire with electronic warfare effects, the system fills a gap in layered defense and reduces vulnerabilities to cheap but disruptive aerial attacks.

Looking Ahead

The Pentagon views counter-drone systems as a priority, and BLADE shows how quickly new defenses can reach soldiers in the field.

Project Flytrap 4.0 proved its effectiveness in live scenarios and confirmed that troops can adapt it into regular training. By combining radar, fire control, kinetic firepower, and electronic warfare, BLADE gives ground forces a practical tool against the expanding drone threat and strengthens their survivability on future battlefields.

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