The US Army wants to get ideas from the defense industry on how to protect against attacks by the so-called “kamikaze drones” that are used in Ukraine.

AeroVironment’s Switchblade and the Iranian-made Shahed-136 (Geran-2) are two of the most well-known examples.

The threat of loitering munitions remains a major concern for the U.S., so the need for a system that can counter these threats is urgent and important.

Col. Mike Parent, division chief for acquisition and resources in the Army’s Joint Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System Office, said the threat of such munitions was of serious concern to his team.

“The one-way attack is something that we have been told again and again by [combatant commands] and the services that this is something that is evolving,” he said during a briefing at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA 2022) exhibition.

According to Parent, the service is poised to release a formal request for ideas from industry within the next couple weeks.

The United States Department of Defense divides UAVs into five groups by operational parameters.

The work will focus on countering the threats of “Group 3” drones. This is a class of drones that weigh from 24 to 600 kilograms.

“We have an aggressive timeline. We’re going to put that request for white papers out and we’re going to expect industry to come back very quickly,” said Mike Parent.

Recall that, according to the intelligence services of Ukraine, Russia ordered 2,400 Shahed-136 loitering ammunition.

The first reports of Russia’s use of Shahed-136 loitering munition in the war against Ukraine appeared in early September. In Russia, the drone is designated by the name “Geran-2.”

In 2021, Iran first showed a launcher on a Shahed-136 multiple launch truck. Containers with such drones can be easily placed not only on trucks but also on railway cars, various ships and other mobile vehicles.