JIATF-401 selects Lattice as C2 platform for C-UAS

The Pentagon’s Joint Interagency Task Force 401 (JIATF-401) has selected Anduril Industries’ Lattice software under a US$87 million ($123 million) to serve as the tactical command and control solution for Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C-UAS).

JIATF-401 is an organization focused on synchronizing C-UAS efforts across the Department of War (DoW) and broader Federal Government. By establishing both a common command and control software platform for C-UAS and a common process for US Government organizations to procure, deploy, and sustain ever-improving commercial counter-drone software at scale, JIATF-401 is accelerating the US response to the UAS threat.

An effective, multi-layered C-UAS response includes a software solution that connects disparate systems and enables a coordinated defence, says Anduril. As JIATF-401’s command and control software foundation, Lattice integrates a broad range of sensors and effectors, including legacy systems and newly fielded capabilities, to enable distributed detection, tracking, classification, and engagement of UAS threats in seconds, the company adds. Leveraging commercial software best practices, Anduril says its development and deployment process delivers a continuously improving Lattice capability drawing on operational lessons learned from across a globally deployed footprint.

This contract is the first task order under the Army’s recently-announced Enterprise Agreement with Anduril which consolidates more than 120 separate purchase agreements with the company and could be worth up to US$20 billion ($28 billion) if all options are pursued.

“This enterprise contract is a critical step in establishing a common framework for counter-UAS interoperability,” said Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of JIATF- 401. “It provides a foundational command and control capability. The Department of War and interagency partners now possess a clear path to a cohesive and operationally effective ecosystem that gives our warfighters the most advanced tools to defend the homeland.”

Anduril is also two years into a three-year contract to deploy a C-UAS and counter-intruder C2 system at RAAF Base Darwin on an experimental basis.

The proliferation of UASs has exposed Department of War installations, other US Government strategic sites, and National critical infrastructure to new risks, the company says. Disparate systems that act in isolation aren’t capable of effectively responding to this dynamic threat, it adds. Addressing this complex C-UAS challenge requires a common tactical command and control platform that integrates diverse systems to detect, track, and identify threats, enabling warfighters across the joint force to respond quickly and effectively, says Anduril.

The enterprise license Lattice agreement follows other successful air defence deployments. Most recently, Lattice was chosen as the US Army’s next-generation fire control capability for C-UAS missions under the Integrated Battle Command System Manoeuvre program. As threats continue to evolve, a common tactical command and control backbone for C-UAS will be essential to rapidly integrate new sensors, effectors, and capabilities across the joint force as one element of effective counter-drone measures across the DoW, says Anduril.