The UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl) Sensing for Asset Protection with Integrated Electronic Networked Technology (SAPIENT) has completed trials with Nato.

The trials were conducted to assess SAPIENT as a potential Nato standard for counter-drone systems. The UK Ministry of Defence has already adopted the technology as the standard to counter uncrewed air systems (UASs).

SAPIENT’s Interface Control Document (ICD) was tested during the counter-UAS technical interoperability exercise (C-UAS TIE 21).

It enabled more than 70 connections between counter-UAS and command and control systems, as well as linking 17 advanced autonomous sensor modules (ASM) to seven decision-making modules (DSM).

The successful facilitation of connections has resulted in SAPIENT being adopted by the industry.

Dstl Project Technical Authority counter-UAS systems David Lugton said: “Nato TIE adds to the recent success of the SAPIENT deployment at Contested Urban Environment 2021 and builds on its adoption in the UK MOD C-sUAS Strategy.

“The widespread voluntary adoption of SAPIENT by industry across Nato was highly impressive, paves the way to an open commercial market of SAPIENT compliant C-UAS components and places the architecture as a crucial enabler as the demand for rapid C-UAS interoperability increases across the Nato nations.”

Dstl developed the standard with Innovate UK.

SAPIENT incorporates AI and autonomy to reduce the cognitive burden on users operating networked multi-sensor systems in defence settings. It also allows diverse sensors, interfaces, and decision-making modules to work together.

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