UK DASA seeks aerial threat detection systems

The UK Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has launched a new GBP2 million competition seeking fast paced proposals over four key challenge areas, called Innovation in Support of Operations. 

One of the four areas of interest pertains to aerial threat detection. According to the full competition document, DASA is looking for information on “reduced cost, low probability of intercept, wide-area sense and detect [systems] including (but not limited to) air search (including passive) and the function of 3D counter-battery radar.”

The document lists potential threats to be detected as adversary RF emitters; adversary ISR assets including drones, vehicles or personnel; and adversary weapons in flight such as mortars, rockets, and artillery.

Funded by the Ministry of Defence, the competition intends to identify “nearly ready solutions and techniques that can be accelerated into scalable and deliverable effect faster than our adversaries”.

The competition will run for three cycles, open continuously from 18 July until 3 December 2024. DASA expects individual funded proposals to be in the region of to be in the range of GBP50,000 to GBP200,000.