Navy Netted Sensors Destroy Missiles & Drones

Kris Osborn

The Navy is accelerating efforts to better network sensors to weapons systems so that missiles, drones and ship-based weapons systems can locate and destroy targets at distances “beyond-the-horizon.”

Raytheon will further develop sensor, radar and “detect-control-engage” technology through a second extension of its Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) contract.

Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems was awarded a $19 million CEC contract for a sensor netting system engineered to improve sensor integration and anti-warfare capability, Pentagon and Raytheon statements explained.

“CEC is a sensor netting system that significantly improves battle force anti-air warfare capability by extracting and distributing sensor-derived information such that the superset of this data is available to all participating CEC units,” a Raytheon statement said.

CEC is an integral aspect of key emerging ship-defense technologies aimed at “netting” sensors and radar technologies in order to better identify and destroy approaching threats such as anti-ship missiles, drones and enemy aircraft. 

Navy leaders and weapons developers speak often about the tremendous combat value of networking airborne, missile and ship sensors as a way to better identify over-the-horizon threats.

For example, Navy destroyers, or DDG 51s, have already deployed with a new offensive and defensive technology called Naval Integrated Fire Control – Counter Air, or NIFC-CA. This system, deployed for the first time last year, uses an airborne sensor and data links to relay information about incoming enemy fire.