BAE Systems is developing a new counter-drone capability designed to detect, track and defeat uncrewed threats using a mix of software, sensors and electronic warfare tools.
The system, known as the BAE Systems Anti Threat System (BATS), is being developed at pace by UK-based engineers to address the growing challenge posed by drones targeting military and civilian infrastructure.
Work on the programme began in October 2025, with system testing expected within months and live-fire trials planned for early summer.
The approach centres on reducing reliance on expensive interceptor missiles by using a layered system that combines detection, classification and response tools.
“Drone incursions are a clear and present issue, putting citizens, military personnel and infrastructure at risk,” said Andrea Thompson, Group Managing Director of BAE Systems’ Digital Intelligence business.
She added that the pace of technological change in uncrewed systems is driving the need for faster development cycles.
“The technology evolves faster than traditional defence systems can respond, with new behaviours, payloads and tactics emerging almost daily.”
BATS is built around a software-driven command and control architecture, designed to fuse data from multiple sensors and provide rapid decision support to operators.
The system is intended to identify and classify threats in real time before recommending an appropriate response, which could include electronic warfare effects or kinetic options depending on the scenario.
Its open architecture, say BAE, is designed to allow integration with a wide range of existing and future sensors and effectors, enabling it to be adapted across different operational environments, including borders, airfields and urban areas.
So we have BAE BATS now where is the belfry – which is where our politicians seem to live with their bats?
Why on earth is this being done only now when the need for this has been obvious for at least three years.
Possibly because the technology wasn’t there. From the description it’s pretty clear that AI is being used heavily in the system.
If by AI you mean Machine Learning then that has been around in UK military kit since the Millenium.
UKR have shown the tech is there.
We have now launched Operation Gold Plate.
No not Machine Learning, that’s been around since the ‘60s.
What Ukraine has is very effective, cheap, anti-drone effectors that are remotely piloted by humans to ram enemy drones.
That’s just one component.
If you refer back to the article, this system detects and tracks drones, will identify by type (eg a quadcopter versus a Shahed-clone), and then identify the most effective method available to down it; which could vary from ground based jammers, EM weapons, or Ukraine-style counter drones. And it will be able to do this against large swarms of drones, because AI will do all it without the need for human intervention in the process.
The fact that machine learning has been around since the ’60s doesn’t mean it isn’t relevant to this problem.
You don’t use LLM to run weapons systems but you do use ML.
That said LLM can sift and find examples that are approved to go into ML via other processes. The main issue is maintaining the purity of the ML so it doesn’t get loaded with hallucinations.
Otherwise the ML model will be of the same value as listening to Nigel Farrage after he has had a few pints – which is clearly worse than useless!
Then you’re clearly not keeping pace with developments, because the Pentagon is using Palantir’s Maven System (which uses Anthropic’s Claude LLM) to handle everything in F2T2EA aside from actually pulling the trigger. This is how the USA is able to engage thousands of targets each day.
Thankfully Anthropic has a moral-compass and has objected to the entire process being handled by AI, which is why Hegseth wants them out.
The difference with what BAE are doing is that the targets aren’t manned, they are drones. So the process is more like a highly sophisticated CIWS that operates without human intervention.
I’m very well aware of the US Plantir/Anthropic’s LLM mess.
I am very glad that BAE are not following in its footsteps as I wouldn’t want to be in a light aircraft or cab anywhere near the Plantir system.
Well I was referring to Palantir’s Maven System, without which the air-war would be going at a fraction of its current pace.
Not heard of this “Plantir” you mention.
As for dissing Anthropic, it’s Claude is undoubtedly the best on the market. Though the AI market is an overhyped bubble, which I think might ironically be burst by the energy crisis Trump has triggered.
As for being in a light aircraft or cab, well you’d have be pretty dumb to be get yourself in that position to begin with. But for comparisons I think BAE’s solution might be better than say the humans on the USS Vincennes or the Russians that fired the Buk at Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 or the Iranians that shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752…
“Not heard of this “Plantir” you mention.”
That was a pretty obvious typo.
AI wise, I agree the whole thing is massively overhyped and it is highly limited in what it can do well or accurately.
What AI can do is extract data and is sent for human/rules review that can then when it is cleared can be added to the Machine Learning. The problem is that the data that is fed to ML must be clean data otherwise the learning process drifts off.
As for the risks, normal human population activity needs to be able to continue around bases. The old waffle about risk and threat level assessments is rapidly hitting the bin as the asymmetric attacks that will start off the next conflict will not be announced but will just happen so the ‘system’ will have to be live otherwise it won’t offer what is needed.
A typo you repeated…
You clearly haven’t a clue how Maven works, and you’re stuck on how things worked 10 years ago. 🤷🏻♂️
There is a very big difference between how an AI driven system like MAVEN is supposed to work and how it will work once AI has allowed it to drift from the rules.
Claude may well be the best of the bunch out there, by a long way, but it still bakes in a certain level of hallucination. This is the fundamental problem with AI driven systems they cannot precisely follow defined rules with no leakage.
That is a given in the probabilistic manner in which AI works. If you don’t believe that: try listening to a certain gentleman who won the Nobel Prize for AI saying exactly that. He is on YouTube saying it…..
And that is why Anthropic want no part of this as they don’t want to be blamed for the *inevitable* foul up.
I’m with SB on this. We aren’t talking even 5 years we are talking this sort of urgency 1 to 2 years ago. Plus while ai technology is ,boing at an unbelievable rate that will be the case for many, many years at least it’s always been moveable goal posts, and has at an advanced state for at least 5 years (being conservative) and Bae has obviously been working in this sphere for at least that long (not to mention wider such overlapping programmes) so this isn’t simply something that’s been developable out of the blue it’s just that the decision has been made on spending budget on bringing the various technology together (whoever is responsible for that). Fact is what it is now is better than what it would have been a year or more ago if similar commitment had been made or will be as good in one or more years in the future. It’s all about seeing the risk and trying to organise against it, which has both political and industrial will. That said this may we’ll have been something Bae (and others no doubt) and it is only company to light now because it’s hit a certain level of maturity and potential, thus a product, or it’s just been stepped up in level of urgency though that latter is perhaps the point of argument where has the urgency been previously quick enough. Either way I very much doubt, but equally in cynical mode sure hope this isn’t something only now having been thought necessary due to recent events. Those events have probably just focused the market and Bae deciding it’s a good time to market their ideas.
Being “cynical” as you admit, is more a character defect than a guide to reality.
I wouldn’t be too surprised if this was based around the Sea Viper Evolution work.
BAE have been taking a lot about fast analysis of loads of threats for SVE. But that is just a guess which may be linking two unconnected projects.
No messing around; get it done fast. To achieve early introduction, a phased system starts with a basic unit for mass production and then introduces upgrades as development allows. Attaining near perfection at launch is why some defence projects are being delayed, and a staggered process at least allows for a rapid roll-out. Ajax is a case in point; once the principal faults are addressed and are curable, the less urgent elements can be addressed once the fleet is in service. Not ideal, but the UK doesn’t have the time to mess around. Drone attacks on British soil could be a possibility sooner than we might think. I fear Iran will use every facility and agency to deliver revenge across Western nations.
I agree.
They don’t really fear UK as they are at war with USA and the general policy is to lash out in every direction. Probably encouraged by Xi and Mad Vlad.
Absolutely and as a warning there has been reports of drones around the very se used base that the top US regime figures who are actively involved or supporting this war are hiding out these days. Only needs one of those to be hostile and the Iranians have a massive success on their hands. The days when foreign leaders were, due to International Law not targeted have gone and like dumping the rules based system is going to haunt the US one suspects. Imagine the number of US Govt figures who are going to be under threat for the rest of their lives, not to mention their families. Eric, Barron, Ivanka, Jared and Don junior have a life of fear ahead now but figures like Noem, Bondi, Patel, Vance, Rubio et al are all potential targets perhaps with retribution served cold. And let’s be honest it won’t just be Iranians who may threaten them, the enemies are becoming wider by the month including amongst Americans.
There do appear to be individual and multinational programmes running concurrently with European nations to achieve anti-missile and drone systems at pace. I might be wrong, but not all these projects appear to be monitored or controlled by NATO?
What fancy project name will buy nothing but look very interested MOD give it?. Be a press release saying how the MOD are looking at it an having an industry open day and some around the table meetings about it, then a bland Labour MP will ask a load question about defence in PMQ’s and get long winded waffled anser say we doing all we can to end up doing nothing.
BAE have made some key overseas acquisitions in recent years. Yet more evidence of Britain exporting jobs as a consequence of over-regulation, jobs taxes. In this case, probably a good thing since the BAE track record of digital C2 development in Britain has been dire. Hands up who remembers BAE Systems INSYTE? It rapidly became known by an easy adaptation of its name…
This announcement is welcome and extremely promising. Let’s hope that the dead hand of para-statal and Whitehall bureaucracy, sclerotic decision making, funding, doesn’t stuff it up.
So more gold plated overpriced bae stuff again! The people to go to for anything and everything related to drones, is Ukraine.
This constant ‘scurrying’ to bae for everything is ridiculous. The constant reliance on bae is detrimental to HMG, and the taxpayer in general. Disgraceful!
With any luck BAeS is just doing its own thing and not waiting for the hapless folk at Abbey Wood to write a spec around what they have seen and dish it out to the competition. BAeS need to clear it with the HMG Export folk and get their kit out to Ukraine and European partners who will buy it. When UK MOD finally catch up the offering will be even better. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Is the MOD looking in to it?, considering it and put a tender out?, or just filling the snack machine at Whilehall up for meeting to discuse paper clips and non plastic straws and the wearing od ear rings.
don’t worry about any of this system working on A.I. unless Miliband gets our electricity systems worked out we won’t have enough power to run a basic calculator !