New C-UAS task force makes first acquisition
Fortem Technologies, which is backed by AEI Industrial Partners' HorizonX venture capital arm, makes the counter-drone DroneHunter F700. (Fortem Technologies)
Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) 401 has purchased two F700 DroneHunters from Fortem Technologies, according to a 13 January Department of Defense (DoD) press release.
The C-UAS weapon is designed to counter Group 1 and Group 2 drones, the smallest category of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), using what Fortem Technologies calls ānetgunsā, according to the company's website. A spokesperson told Janes the deployment location could not be shared for āoperational security reasonsā.
The press release notes that the systems are ideal for operations in the āhomeland where the risk to civilian populations and infrastructure must be minimizedā. The systems are expected to be delivered by April, according to the DoD press release.
Artificial intelligence and an unspecified radar are used to target the drone, and then the UAS can launch a net gun to capture the adversary UAS. The systems can also be equipped with what the company calls a āDrogueChuteā, which is the largest net offering for the F700.
The net is equipped with a parachute that slows down the fall of the captured adversary UAS.
Fortem Technologies has been selling the UAS-catching nets since at least 2020. The army awarded the company a contract in 2020 as part of its xTech technology searches, according to a press release. By that time, the company had already received a USD10 million contract from an undisclosed foreign police agency.
The company was then granted Export Administration Regulations (EAR) status for its family of systems, which enabled it to sell F700 and related technology without an export licence. Ukraine purchased some systems in early 2023.
Go beyond the headlines - with direct links to interconnected entities
Get full access to validated equipment, military capabilities, and market insights.
