Counter-drone systems can combine radar, cameras, radio-frequency sensors and other equipment to detect, track and identify potential threats. Honeywell Aerospace’s SAMURAI system is designed to bring information from those disparate sources into a single interface.
The system uses UNITAS, Honeywell Aerospace’s battle-management software, to integrate sensors and effectors from different manufacturers.
“There is no one solution that solves every threat out there,” said retired Air Force Col. Tom Konicki, director of business at Honeywell Aerospace.
The threat ranges from recreational drones flown into restricted airspace to unmanned aircraft that could be used to attack military installations or other critical infrastructure. Konicki said counter-drone systems need to detect, track, identify, classify and ultimately defeat drones, regardless of the operator’s intent.
“The threat is real, and the threat is now,” he added.
While SAMURAI stands for Stationary and Mobile UAS Reveal and Intercept, UNITAS is not an acronym. Konicki said the name was inspired by football player Johnny Unitas.
Counter-drone systems can combine several types of equipment. Radar detects objects at a distance, while radio-frequency sensors can detect signals associated with drones or their controllers. Remote identification equipment can receive identifying information broadcast by compliant drones. Electro-optical and infrared cameras allow operators to examine objects more closely, while acoustic sensors can help detect drones by their sound.
Depending on the threat and equipment available, counter-drone systems can also use electronic warfare, directed-energy systems, conventional weapons or interceptor drones to defeat an aircraft. Some systems use nets to capture drones, an approach that can be designed to reduce the risk of debris falling onto people or property.
Konicki said operators of some counter-drone systems must monitor six, seven or eight separate screens for radar, cameras, radio-frequency sensors, jamming equipment and other capabilities. That can require one operator to track multiple information streams simultaneously. UNITAS is designed to consolidate the feeds so operators can view information from multiple sensors together in one interface.
“We call it a single pane of glass,” Konicki said. “There could be seven different sensors that have identified it and are feeding that into our software.”
Konicki said the interface is designed to be straightforward for operators, including younger service members who may be assigned counter-drone duties without extensive experience operating the different systems. He said Honeywell Aerospace has demonstrated the software to U.S. government and military representatives, as well as local law enforcement and state and city representatives.
The software also uses an open-architecture approach, allowing customers to integrate equipment they already own instead of replacing it with products from a single manufacturer.
“We’re not asking them to go buy new stuff,” Konicki said. “We can integrate with what they already have.”
Customers can choose equipment suited to their needs and update components as detection technologies and countermeasures evolve. Konicki said Honeywell Aerospace works with other companies to incorporate their technologies rather than lock customers into a single vendor’s products. He said the company seeks equipment mature enough for operational use rather than untested technology.
At the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting, Honeywell Aerospace displayed a mockup of the mobile configuration mounted on the back of a Ford F-150. Konicki called it the “Green Beast.”
Honeywell Aerospace is also developing an airborne application of SAMURAI with Odys Aviation. Announced in March 2026, the collaboration aims to adapt the system for Odys’ long-range Laila uncrewed aircraft. The companies said the effort builds on more than a year of joint development and systems-integration work. Laila is intended to be the first airborne application of SAMURAI, extending the system beyond ground-based and mobile configurations.
Konicki said SAMURAI can also be configured for fixed-site protection and maritime operations. Depending on the mission, customers might position equipment around a building or installation, use a mobile configuration for temporary protection at an event, or place sensors at distributed locations to cover a larger area.
Separately, Honeywell Aerospace announced Oct. 12 that its wholly owned subsidiary, EMS Defense Technologies, was selected for a Department of Homeland Security counter-drone contract vehicle. The five-year, multiple-award vehicle has a $1.5 billion ceiling, was awarded July 31 and took effect Aug. 1.
Konicki said Honeywell Aerospace works with international partners, including Lithuania, Slovakia and Colombia, and can integrate locally sourced equipment when customers want to use particular sensors or effectors.
For customers protecting an air base or another site, Konicki said the company can assess where radar, cameras and other sensors should be positioned to maximize coverage.
Its planning process can map areas with adequate coverage, identify gaps and recommend adjustments to equipment placement. The company can then conduct what Konicki described as a red-team assessment, examining where an adversary might launch a drone and how that approach could affect the site’s defenses. The analysis will help customers tailor sensor placement and other system components to the site and its potential threats.
Natalie Oliverio is an independent journalist and Navy veteran who covers military and veterans’ issues. Drawing on her experience as a talent executive and mentor, she writes about the policies, people and programs shaping the military community.
