The fourth edition of NATO’s Counter Unmanned Aircraft System Technical Interoperability Exercise (C-UAS TIE24) brought together military, scientific and industry specialists to test high-tech commercial solutions designed to detect, identify, and neutralize drones. Over 60 systems and technologies – including sensors, effectors, jammers and threat drones – were tested live to ensure these solutions can connect instantly and operate seamlessly together.
The exercise was organized by the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), and hosted by the C-UAS Joint Nucleus within the Dutch Ministry of Defence.
“The commercial and military use of drones has grown rapidly, and unfortunately, so has their misuse, particularly by non-state actors. This presents an increasing threat to NATO’s operations and everyday defence activities,” said NCIA Chief of Staff Major General Hans Folmer, while visiting the exercise. “In response, NATO has been fully committed to better understanding drone detection and to developing effective countermeasures. This exercise stands as a clear demonstration of that commitment,” he assured.
NCIA, through its C-UAS Centre of Expertise, is working closely with NATO’s Emerging and Security Challenges Division to ensure interoperability and standardization in data exchange among diverse C-UASs and components across the Alliance. An important part of this work is the development of NATO’s first counter doctrine, which will provide a robust framework for NATO to efficiently detect, track and neutralize the threat.
Previous iterations of the TIE exercises identified C-UAS optimal architectures and standards to be adopted by NATO. Building upon these achievements, C-UAS TIE24 further tested technical standards and solutions to assess interoperability of systems used to counter Class I UASs with existing Air and Missile Defence (AMD) capabilities.
Ukraine’s first active participation in the exercise is part of the NATO-Ukraine Innovation Cooperation Roadmap endorsed at the Washington Summit earlier this year. TIE24 provided a unique opportunity to learn from Ukraine’s battlefield experience in countering small drones and help address most pressing challenges, such as drone autonomy and interoperability in a collaborative and mutually-reinforcing way.
By constantly improving the interoperability of the counter-drone systems in use, Allies enhance their air defence and support the collective deterrence and defence of the Alliance.
