Honeywell, Odys Aviation team up on airborne C-UAS program

WASHINGTON — Honeywell Aerospace and Odys Aviation, an aerospace firm that develops vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, are teaming up to develop an airborne counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) solution, the companies announced.

The system will pair Honeywell’s Stationary and Mobile UAS Reveal and Intercept (SAMURAI) system with Odys’ Laila aircraft to defend from unmanned drone threats. SAMURAI’s deployment on Laila will mark the first aerial application of Honeywell’s system, per the company’s announcement on Tuesday.

“SAMURAI delivers critical counter-UAS capabilities with proven reliability, scalability and seamless integration into existing defense architectures,” Matt Milas, president of defense and space at Honeywell, said in the press release Tuesday. “By leveraging Honeywell’s long history in avionics, sensors and defense systems, we are enabling C-UAS capabilities that protect farther, respond faster and operate with minimal downtime.”

The combined platform is meant to serve as an airborne layer of counter-drone protection that can engage drone threats long before they come close to high-value targets, alleviating the reliance on more expensive C-UAS systems.

“Drone threats have fundamentally changed the economics and operational requirements of air defense,” said Odys CEO James Dorris in the announcement.

“By combining Honeywell’s SAMURAI system with the endurance, runway independence and onboard power capability of Laila, we’re introducing a new airborne defense layer designed for today and into the future.” he continued.

The Laila aircraft is a hybrid-powered vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, capable of flying for up to eight hours, within a 450-mile range and without dedicated charging infrastructure. The SAMURAI is a “turnkey, modular solution that incorporates diverse customer-selected sensors and effectors,” according to the release. The dual-concept has been in development for over a year.