KIRKLAND, Washington, — U.S. radar developer Echodyne has integrated its EchoShield radar into BAE Systems’ Anti Threat System (BATS) following successful live trials in Scotland. The integration will provide persistent radar data to help detect, classify and track uncrewed aerial threats and support defensive responses.
The two-week Scottish trials demonstrated BATS' ability to connect multiple sensors and defensive systems through a unified command-and-control architecture. Testing included drone detection, multi-sensor data fusion, electronic warfare countermeasures and a complete engagement involving an integrated gun system. BAE Systems is now advancing BATS towards operational deployment.
EchoShield Radar Specifications
EchoShield uses Echodyne's proprietary Metamaterials Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) technology. The medium-range, software-defined pulse-Doppler radar operates in the Ku-band (15.4–16.6 GHz) and provides continuous tracking, threat classification and precise location data.
It offers a 130-degree azimuth and 90-degree elevation field of view, tracking accuracy of less than 0.5 degrees, a 10 Hz update rate and the ability to track more than 1,000 objects simultaneously.
Its typical tracking ranges are 2.7–5 km for Group 1 drones, 4.8–7 km for Group 2 and up to 11–12.5 km for Group 3, depending on radar cross-section. The radar weighs approximately 18–19 kg and consumes less than 250 watts, allowing deployment at fixed sites, temporary installations and mobile platforms.
BATS Connects Sensors and Countermeasures
BAE Systems' BATS is a modular, software-defined counter-uncrewed aerial system that connects existing and future sensors, intelligence systems and defensive effectors through a secure data core. Its open architecture supports operations ranging from local point defence to wider-area protection for military, government and critical infrastructure.
BAE Systems executive Louise Heywood said BATS reduces operators' workload by combining drone identification, confirmation and targeting in one system. Echodyne CEO Eben Frankenberg said EchoShield provides the stable and accurate radar tracks needed for faster defensive decisions.
Echodyne Expands Production Capacity
Echodyne radars are already integrated into hundreds of counter-drone systems worldwide, with many available through the Joint Interagency Task Force 401 C-UAS Marketplace.
The company has also opened an advanced manufacturing facility in Washington State, designed to eventually produce more than 30,000 radars annually to meet growing demand.
The integration adds EchoShield's radar tracking capabilities to BAE Systems' BATS network, combining drone detection, threat assessment and defensive responses within a single architecture.
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