New C-UxS technology extends range, closes critical gap in homeland defense
Alarm bells rang out in 2015 when a recreational quadcopter crashed into the White House lawn. While it was a harmless incident, it was also a stark reminder of the threat posed by adversaries across the world who use the same small, inexpensive technology to cause such damage as dropping explosives on U.S. forces.
As has been seen in Ukraine, Russia, and the Middle East, unmanned systems (UxS) are easy to modify and operate outside of standard commercial frequencies and deploy commercial telecommunications networks to appear like any other internet of things (IoT) device, making them hard to detect and even harder to stop.
A narrow window to respond
Group 1-3 drones and swarms can reach speeds of more than 300 mph, leaving minimal time for detection, analysis, and engagement. These drones can operate via GPS waypoints, satellite or cellular communications, and even AI-based algorithms, reducing the need for continuous command and control links that are more identifiable.
Detecting and defeating drone swarms has also become more complex. Adversaries increasingly operate outside of commercial frequency bands to avoid detection. Identifying these threats requires full RF spectrum analysis systems from farther distances than previously available.
“To protect our homeland from these smaller yet often just as deadly unmanned threats, we have to increase our response time, which means increasing the distance at which we can defeat these drones and drone swarms,” said Michael Solberg, managing engineer with CACI.
Closing the gap
CACI’s Merlin detects, identifies, and defeats Group 1-3 UxS within seconds from a range of 75 kilometers, a major leap from other available systems.
“Expanding that range is crucial because it closes the threat window and delivers heightened awareness for operators who now can neutralize an attack even before it’s launched,” Solberg said.
Merlin infuses long-range RF, radar, and EO/IR sensing with an extensive database of known UAV radios and flight computers – more than 1,000 unique signals – to deliver extended range threat detection and autonomous or man-in-the-loop response capabilities. CACI’s Nightstalker, an operationally proven C-UxS software framework, combines sensors and effectors from multiple vendors and other existing third-party kinetic capture/entanglement systems and low collateral defeat programs.
Merlin is deployable at multiple classification levels and its software-defined architecture enables rapid integration of new capabilities, including over-the-air updates that stay ahead of tomorrow’s threats.
By the numbers:
New drones, new rules
The rules of engagement have changed. Group 1-3 drones enable adversaries to deploy low-cost, creative ways to gather intelligence and attack military and civilian infrastructure. Traditional defense is no longer enough. Merlin changes that equation. Its extended range gives operators valuable time and awareness to respond with surgical precision, not overt strength. And its modularity is a model for layered, scalable homeland defense across missions and domains.
“Merlin’s versatility may one day be the difference between an attack on our homeland being neutralized or not,” Solberg said. “Whether it’s on our nation’s borders and coasts or an airfield in the middle of the country, Merlin can fill the gaps and deliver capabilities for a true multi-layered national defense system.”
The threat landscape is dynamic. From wire-guided missile tactics in the 1940s to Ukraine’s drone swarm that destroyed 30% of Russia’s nuclear-capable bombers in 2025, unmanned systems are changing faster than ever. That is why CACI is ever vigilant in advancing C-UxS technology to meet the needs of tomorrow's mission. Our nation's safety depends on it.
“Providing commanders with increased decision space is critical. They need the time to Sense, Decide and Act with appropriate actions to prevent an adversary drone from achieving its objective. This is absolutely something Merlin is going to help to address,” said Keith Denton, CACI.