NATO has launched a marketplace to accelerate allies' access to counter-drone technologies and address urgent operational requirements, it said in a statement on Thursday.
The Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) marketplace, established under NATO's Drone Edge initiative, will allow member countries to procure selected counter-drone solutions directly from a NATO catalog without undergoing additional tender procedures.
Under the initiative, Allies have committed to investing more than $40 billion in counter-drone capabilities during the next five years, according to NATO.
The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) has selected 16 solutions from five companies following a competitive process. The companies are Alta Ares, Axon Enterprise Inc., Northrop Grumman, OSL UK and Quantum Systems.
The selected capabilities were assessed based on experience gained through NATO and national innovation activities, as well as military exercises. The solutions have already been deployed in allied countries and Ukraine, according to NATO.
The marketplace offers a range of capabilities, including static, transportable and mobile systems designed to counter unmanned aerial threats.
NCIA, which hosts the NATO Counter-UAS Centre of Expertise, will oversee the multi-award framework contracts covering the selected solutions.
The contracts will remain valid for 18 months, with NATO planning to hold regular competitions to ensure allies have access to the latest counter-drone technologies.
NATO has also allocated €3.1 million ($3.6 million) to support additional testing of the selected systems by member countries and NATO commands.
