Canada-headquartered Allen-Vanguard, which provides customised solutions for defeating radio frequency (RF)-based threats, is entering into a strategic collaboration with the UK’s Metis Aerospace, a domain knowledge specialist in passive RF detection, the company announced on 18 November 2024.
The collaboration has been established to leverage the two companies’ respective expertise and proven products to address the growing requirement for a highly mobile counter-unmanned air system (C-UAS) capability to defeat the burgeoning threat from tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, often referred to as drones.
“Metis has extensive experience in the RF detect domain, with several products that are already the cornerstone of many larger protection systems across a wide range of sectors,” Allen-Vanguard stated in a press release. “For over 10 years, they have been at the forefront of C-UAS detection capability development, advising the [UK Ministry of Defence] and receiving research funding to develop their innovative technologies, such as Skyperion.”
“Allen-Vanguard is equally an operationally proven subject matter expert in defeating RF threats, including cutting-edge counter-drone solutions, like Ancile, that are used by militaries, security forces and NGOs globally to protect their personnel and key assets,” the company added.
Noting that drone technology and its use on the battlefield are rapidly evolving, Allen-Vanguard stated of its collaboration with Metis that the “operationally proven ingenuity and agility of both companies can be brought to bear on the key subset of the C-UAS market that is demanding increased manoeuvrability and effectiveness at a practical price point”, adding that both companies have built an excellent reputation for ensuring that deployed systems are maintained with the latest detection and defeat waveforms as the RF battlespace evolves.
“We are very excited to be collaborating with Allen-Vanguard to develop this capability that we see meets a growing market demand,” Tony Burnell, CEO of Metis Aerospace, was quoted as saying. “It makes perfect sense for us to work together and exploit our expertise in the detect function and then fully synchronise and integrate with an Allen-Vanguard defeat capability. This combination will be a real protection benefit for all our customers.”
Bobby Strawbridge, president of Allen-Vanguard, stated, “I am delighted to announce this collaboration with Metis that, as fellow SME domain knowledge experts, perfectly complements our own portfolio of products. The ability to combine the detect and defeat functions into one capability will undoubtedly deliver enhanced C-UAS capabilities to better counter modern hostile drone operations.”
Strawbridge added that the two companies are currently “pursuing a number of qualified opportunities in the Middle East and Eastern Europe from users who have reached out, seeking a cost-effective and efficient system for a baseline, mobile C-UAS capability”.
