NATO launches persistent airfield denial challenge

NATO has launched a new challenge to identify, accelerate, and validate technologies that deliver persistent denial of adversary airfield operations. 

Announced by NATO on 10 June, the Persistent Airfield Denial challenge is technology-agnostic. The agency says that, provided the required operational effect can be achieved, proposals may contain any combination of systems or approaches. For example, submissions may include a range of UASs, autonomous and semi-autonomous munitions, loitering systems, and swarming and mass effect concepts, among others.   

The challenge aims to address a current operational challenge: airfields, which enable an adversary to project air power at the rear, are difficult to target. Current approaches lack “the mass-effect, persistence, and electronic warfare resilience” required to suppress airfield infrastructure across multiple aim points. 

The new challenge – open to companies based in NATO nations and Ukraine – has therefore been launched to identify systems able to achieve the desired effect and operate in GPS-denied, electronic warfare-contested conditions. 

What is NATO looking for?  

According to NATO, systems submitted in the challenge must be capable of sustained engagement, rather than acting as one-off effectors. Fixed ground-based effectors will not be considered.  

Working 24-hours a day, in all weather and seasonal conditions, the platforms must be able to operate without continuous human control and suppress multiple points across an airfield.  

Additionally, the technologies should be interoperable by design and require limited training prior to use. A “credible” path to rapid fielding, which should not exceed 12 months, must also be demonstrated.  

The deadline for challenge submissions is 20 July, with finalists due to be announced on 11 August.  

Following an evaluation of entries, 10 finalists will be selected for a pitch day anticipated to take place on 3 September in Warsaw, Poland. At this point, the technologies are expected to be at a technology readiness level of five to seven.  

The finalists will present their systems to a panel of experts and operational users from NATO and Ukraine, who will choose up to three winning teams based on how effectively the platforms can persistently deny adversary airfield operations.  

Up to EUR250,000 will be awarded to each of the winning teams, with an equal amount given to all the winners.