SPRIND Challenge: Anti-Drone Response 2.0

Funding for teams to develop new approaches to diverse threat scenarios that protect public airspace.

Bundesagentur für Sprunginnovationen (SPRIND – German Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation) acts as a forum between the German government, industry, and research representatives. The main objective of the federal corporation is to support breakthrough innovations.

The Anti-Drone Response 2.0. Challenge aims to develop new, scalable, and above all de-escalatory approaches that can flexibly respond to diverse threat scenarios and effectively protect public airspace. Through the challenge, the initiative supports 15 teams over 15 months to develop a fully autonomous system capable of neutralizing small and micro UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) of up to 25 kg and 200 km/h autonomously, precisely, and non-destructively in real time (ie without explosives, without kinetic means, and without collateral damage). Systems are expected to have a high transfer potential to civilian and military applications.

The programme is divided into three stages:

• Stage 1: The goal is to demonstrate basic semi-autonomous functionality with a self-chosen, easy-to-act target UAV. 15 teams are funded for a period of 4 months.
• Stage 2: Teams should aim for real world field-based tests in a secured test area against provided UAV profiles and semi-autonomous operation with human override. 12 teams are funded for 4 months.
• Stage 3: The goal is the operational validation in complex, realistic deployment scenarios, high autonomy and simultaneous multiple threats and countermeasures. 10 teams are funded for 7 months.

The challenge runs in close cooperation with the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova.