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Defence company Electro Optic Systems has announced it has entered into an agreement with the government of a Middle Eastern Gulf state for the provision of a nationwide, counter-drone defence system valued at $700 million.
The contract requires the rapid deployment of a cellular, nationwide, counter-drone system with EOS’ NiDAR command and control system at its core. EOS is acting as the prime contractor and systems integrator, leveraging MARSS’ extensive product capability and engineering expertise.
The contract includes supply of third-party sensors (electro-optical, radar and sonar) to detect threats at longer and medium ranges. These sensors feed information into central command centres using NiDAR to fuse data inputs and create intelligent, user-friendly and actionable threat assessments. The contract also includes initial supply of third-party effectors, such as hard-kill interceptors and soft-kill jammers.
EOS expects over 80 per cent of revenue to be earned over the initial 12–24 months after the contract becomes unconditional. About 20 per cent of the contract’s value relates to ongoing support over a four-year period. EOS believes that completing this work may lead to further sales opportunities in future, although there is no guarantee this will occur. This represents the largest contract ever secured by EOS.
“Recent conflicts in the Middle East have highlighted the urgent need for advanced counter-drone systems. Drone attacks have inflicted significant physical and economic damage and traditional air-defence systems based on expensive interceptor missiles have faced challenges. More effective and sustainable solutions are being sought,” a statement from EOS said.
“EOS’ NiDAR counter-drone system, acquired as part of the recent MARSS acquisition, is an advanced AI-enabled command and control system, designed specifically for counter-drone defence, embracing both airborne and coastal seaborne drone detection.
“As required, systems fielded by MARSS in the Middle East are showing throughout the recent crisis to be an effective and economical counter-drone system. EOS believes that this is driving an acceleration of market demand and sales opportunities.
“EOS will deploy a team to the customer’s country to execute the contract and pursue other growth opportunities in the region. EOS is in the process of recruiting new resources to build and expand on existing MARSS resources for this and other projects.
“EOS believes that this contract represents an inflection point for the company in its strategy to become a major player in the global integrated, counter-drone market as it represents a significant expansion of both the products and services previously provided.
“EOS is grateful for the support provided by both the UK government and the Australian government in enabling EOS to secure this opportunity.”
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