Defence Online

Echodyne, the Washington-based radar platform company, has been named as the primary radar system within Trust Automation’s Small-Unmanned Air Defense System platform, to be delivered to the United States Air Force under a $490 million Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract.

The IDIQ, announced in August 2025, covers the development and supply of counter-unmanned aerial systems capabilities across three distinct platform configurations.

Echodyne’s EchoShield radar will be integrated across the Rapidly Deployable Small-Unmanned Air Defense System, the Fixed Site Small-Unmanned Air Defense System, and the Expeditionary Small-Unmanned Air Defense System variants. All three platforms adhere to the Sensor Open Systems Architecture standard, with EchoShield representing the first fully integrated SOSA-compliant solution within the platform. The RD-SUADS is a self-contained, self-powered system configured to standard pallet dimensions for transport via military aircraft. The FS-SUADS is designed for permanent military installations and can be deployed as a standalone unit or in grouped configurations to provide 360-degree base protection. The EX-SUADS is a detection-only system sized for checked baggage transportation and compatible with larger SUV vehicles, providing a highly portable solution for expeditionary environments.

EchoShield is a commercial-off-the-shelf medium-range radar system built on recursive neural network machine learning models, enabling advanced drone classification across all types and configurations. Its industry-standard interfaces are designed to improve the accuracy with which optical sensors are directed, support effector cueing, and reduce overall reaction time. The system generates precise location data across all data dimensions, a capability that both Echodyne and Trust Automation cite as critical to the effectiveness of modern counter-UAS operations.

Echodyne chief executive Eben Frankenberg stated that radar data fidelity has become a baseline requirement for any credible defensive system, with precision across all data dimensions essential for directing kinetic effectors onto fast-moving UAS threats. Trust Automation chief executive Ty Safreno noted that the integration of EchoShield enhances detection range and accuracy across all three platform variants, enabling operators to identify and respond to threats with greater speed and confidence.

For defence technology suppliers and systems integrators operating in the counter-UAS space, the contract underlines the growing demand for COTS radar solutions that meet open architecture standards. With counter-drone capability continuing to attract significant procurement investment from US and allied defence forces, the SUADS programme represents a substantial and evolving opportunity within the sector.