Thunderdome, an annual event hosted by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24 and NAWCAD’s Webster Outlying Field, brought together government and industry leaders to demonstrate and evaluate emerging Counter Uncrewed Systems (C-UxS) technologies July 21-24 in St. Inigoes, Maryland.
Thunderdome, an annual event hosted by Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24 and NAWCAD’s Webster Outlying Field, brought together government and industry leaders to demonstrate and evaluate emerging Counter Uncrewed Systems (C-UxS) technologies July 21-24 in St. Inigoes, Maryland.
This experimentation exercise provided participants the opportunity to work with multiple uncrewed systems and scenarios, foster development, and demonstrate capabilities to address the rapid expansion of adversarial uncrewed capabilities.
“This event is a unique opportunity to accelerate the development of crewed-uncrewed technologies and foster collaboration between government and industry,” said NAWCAD WOLF Integrated Command and Control and Intelligence Systems Division Branch Head, Doug Shuman. “The data collected and lessons learned here will directly contribute to enhancing our ability to counter emerging threats.”
The event featured a diverse selection of uncrewed systems flown by UX-24 pilots, including fixed-wing, multirotor, and vertical takeoff and landing platforms. Participants tested their systems against various scenarios including scripted and unscripted flight events designed to challenge detection, tracking, and mitigation capabilities. Throughout the week, participants conducted testing, collected data, and refined their developmental systems.
The Thunderdome event underscores the Navy’s commitment to innovation and operational readiness in the face of evolving uncrewed systems challenges. With the support of NAWCAD WOLF and UX-24, participants demonstrated the utility and potential of cutting-edge technologies, paving the way for future advancements in crewed-uncrewed capabilities.
