Athena is a government-owned and cyber-accredited capability directed for placement by the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command to protect U.S. airspace. It provides a fused, actionable air picture to multiple U.S. command-and-control systems, improving the ability to detect, identify, and respond to unmanned aerial threats.
“The Athena system represents a pivotal advancement in our ability to safeguard the skies,” said Lt. Gen. M. Luke Ahmann, commander of CONR-1AF (AFNORTH & AFSPACE). “It amplifies our counter-UAS capabilities by providing a single, integrated air picture, enabling us to detect, track, and neutralize threats with greater speed and precision. This is a critical tool for homeland defense in the 21st century.”
The system integrates sensor data from multiple U.S. government agencies into a single, weapons-quality track and discriminates between unmanned aircraft and other detected objects. “Athena fuses information from multiple sensors to produce a more precise track than any individual sensor can provide,” said Lt. Col. Nicholas Detloff, division chief for strategic requirements at CONR-1AF. “As a government-owned system, Athena also provides a cost-effective means of evolving with emerging threats.”
CONR-1AF is responsible for air defense of the continental United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and serves as the air component for U.S. Northern Command and NORAD. U.S. Air Force officials said the deployment of Athena reflects continued national investment in innovation and interagency cooperation to defend the homeland.
