The Microwave Imaging Curtain to detect concealed firearms using microwave technology was one of the Detection of Explosives and Firearms to Counter Terrorism (DEXTER) technologies demonstrated in the Rome Metro on 24 May under NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme. (Brooks Tigner)

One of NATO's flagship counter-terrorism research consortia has moved a step closer to market with a live demonstration of its capabilities. Once commercialised, the project's real-time threat detection systems could fan out to civil critical infrastructure sites across the allies, according to NATO and national research officials, who said Europe's armies are closely following the work's outcome for its potential military applications as well.

“We have had some informal talks with Italy's military, for example, and they have expressed interest in DEXTER [Detection of Explosives and Firearms to Counter Terrorism] for its potential peacekeeping uses,” a researcher told reporters after the technologies' demonstration on 24 May in a Rome Metro station.

Handheld radios prior to a TSM waveform exercise in February 2020. (US Army)

The US Department of Defense (DoD) is launching a new development initiative geared towards improving waveform resiliency for its growing arsenal of software-defined radios (SDRs), according to a recent departmental solicitation to industry.

Led by the DoD's Joint Tactical Networking Center (JTNC) and managed by the US Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), details of the waveform resiliency programme have largely been kept under wraps. However, details on the general scope and overall goals of the effort have emerged in recently released JTNC and NAVWAR documents to industry.

The programme, as defined, will drill down into “resilient waveforms and associated technologies” either already in use within the military sector or at a high technology maturity level and explore integration options into current and future networked communication systems, according to the initial request for information (RFI).

“The purpose is to provide ready access to resilient waveform information retrievable in a timely manner to aid [US armed forces] ... in planning future network architectures in support of resilient and interoperable joint communications,” the RFI added.

The Dronaam C-UAS is pictured in ruggedised transportable cases. (Gurutvaa Systems)

Indian firm Gurutvaa Systems has delivered the first set of the indigenously developed ‘Dronaam' counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UASs) to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Harshad Dave, director of Gurutvaa Systems, told Janes that an undisclosed number of Dronaam C-UASs were delivered to the IAF earlier in May under a contract signed in August 2021. The system was delivered within nine months.

Dave said the system underwent design review in October 2021 and the first prototype trials were conducted in December 2021. A second trial of a production standard system, which incorporated suggestions from the first trial, was conducted by IAF in February 2022.

Dave further added that the Dronaam system is developed completely indigenously and has proved effective at disrupting the GNSS (global navigation satellite system) navigation and jamming radio frequencies of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).