Counter-UAS on the Black Sea: Optoelectronica tests Sky Dome at “Eastern Phoenix”

With Sky Dome, the Romanian company Optoelectronica has successfully tested a new counter-UAS system designed to intercept and neutralise drones. The test took place during the “Eastern Phoenix” exercise in the Black Sea region, initiated by the Romanian Ministry of Defence and the Romanian Armed Forces.

The exercise demonstrated how threats from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) can be countered (counter-drone, counter-UAS (C-UAS)), with Sky Dome at its centre.

The system is backed by an industrial cooperation agreement between Optoelectronica and the international company Skylock Systems. It provides for the equipment to be manufactured in Romania, in accordance with the requirements of the European Union’s SAFE programme.

Counter-UAS sensors and effectors

For detection, Sky Dome uses an LRF detector, an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, radar and acoustic sensors. For neutralisation, it can draw on the SkyBeam portable jammer, the OmniJAM omnidirectional jammer, a spoofer for GPS and global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), the Sky Laser anti-drone laser, Cyber Takeover and kinetic vectors, i.e. interceptor drones.

As the only integrated solution in the exercise, Optoelectronica’s system also included anti-drone laser components. It was inspected by the Minister of National Defence, Radu Miruţă, and the leadership of the Defence Staff under Lieutenant General Dragoş-Dumitru Iacob, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff. They praised the system and stressed that, given the conflict-prone situation in the eastern neighbourhood, it could be extremely useful for Romania.

According to the Romanian military publication monitorulapararii.ro, Sky Dome took out all unmanned aerial vehicles deployed by the organisers throughout the exercise, including second-generation Shahed-class military drones.