BATS in action: demonstrating the sense, decide, effect mission chain

Uncrewed systems are evolving at an unprecedented pace, with new platforms, tactics and attack methods emerging constantly. Against this backdrop, traditional approaches to counter-UxS operations are increasingly challenged to keep pace.

BATS is a constantly evolving system, designed to address this challenge through a different approach. Rather than relying on a single sensor or countermeasure, BATS is a scalable, modular architecture that integrates multiple sensors, intelligence sources and effectors into a single operational capability. The system enables operators to detect, understand and respond to threats in real time, while retaining the flexibility to evolve as technologies and threats change.

A key advantage of BATS is its open and adaptable design. The system can integrate sensors and effectors from BAE Systems, third-party providers and existing customer capabilities, creating a scalable and future-ready solution. While the trial focused on aerial threats, the architecture is designed to support operations across multiple domains, including maritime and subsea environments.

Throughout the day, attendees experienced how BATS can support the complete mission chain: Sense. Decide. Effect.

The first demonstration focused on detection and situational awareness within a critical infrastructure protection scenario.

Using information gathered from passive sensing modalities, BATS fused data into a single Common Operational Picture, allowing operators to identify, classify and track activity within the Area of Responsibility. The demonstration highlighted how the system helps distinguish genuine threats from routine airborne activity, reducing operator workload while improving confidence in decision-making.

Most importantly, it showed that effective counter-drone operations begin with understanding the environment and providing operators with a trusted operational picture.

The second scenario demonstrated how BATS supports decision-making and proportionate response in a complex battlespace containing multiple autonomous systems.

By correlating data from multiple sensors, the system helped operators distinguish between friendly, neutral and hostile platforms before making a recommendation to the operator on the most appropriate course of action. A soft-kill response – in this case RF jamming using Kirintec’s K-CEMA – was then employed against a designated hostile drone, demonstrating how non-kinetic effects can neutralise a threat while minimising risk and collateral damage.

The scenario illustrated how BATS connects sensing, threat assessment, decision support and effect delivery into a single integrated workflow.

With the trial showcasing an integrated gun system and an end-to-end kill-chain using electronic warfare, in the final demonstration the BATS system was tested in a more complex tactical scenario. Operators needed to confirm the identification of different categories of drones and deploy the appropriate effect for each threat.

Drawing on a combination of active and passive sensing technologies, BATS fused information from multiple sources to build a comprehensive operational picture, support target identification and recommend engagement options. The scenario demonstrated the value of a layered defence approach, combining sensors, decision support and effectors to respond proportionately to evolving threats.

The trial demonstrated how BATS:

• Fuses information from multiple sensor types.
• Creates a trusted Common Operational Picture.
• Supports rapid and informed operator decision-making.
• Integrates and deploys appropriate effectors for each threat.
• Adapts to evolving threats through a modular architecture.
• Enables a layered defence approach across military and civilian environments.

Ultimately, the trial reinforced the vision behind BATS: an open, adaptable and continuously evolving capability that brings together sensors, intelligence, command and control, and effectors to deliver a scalable response to current and future uncrewed threats.

For the BATS team, the work doesn’t stop here. While we complete the assurance phases of our development, we are also already implementing the next stages of the BATS roadmap. The threat landscape doesn’t stand still, so neither do we. 

We would like to thank everyone who joined us in Scotland. For those unable to attend, please get in touch if you would like to learn more about BAE Systems Anti Threat System (BATS) and its future developments.