U.S. Anduril Reveals Pulsar Electronic Warfare System for 360° Anti-Drone Defense at WDS 2026.

Anduril Industries displayed its Pulsar electronic warfare system at the 2026 World Defense Show in Riyadh, presenting a 360-degree, tripod-mounted RF detection and jamming node built to counter small drones and radio-triggered threats. The system reflects a broader U.S. and allied shift toward networked, software-defined counter-UAS architectures that can adapt to fast-changing drone waveforms and swarm tactics.

Army Recognition was on the floor at the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia on 11 February 2026 when Anduril Industries’ Pulsar electronic warfare system drew attention as a tripod mounted, sectorized electronic attack and sensing node built to counter drones and other radio frequency threats at the tactical edge. The display in Riyadh captured a broader shift now rippling through counter-UAS procurement: militaries are moving past single-purpose “drone guns” toward networked electromagnetic systems that can detect, classify, geolocate, and then disrupt targets quickly enough to stay relevant against swarms and fast-changing waveforms.
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Anduril's Pulsar is a tripod-mounted, 360-degree electronic warfare node that uses software-defined radio and edge computing to detect, identify, and direction-find hostile RF emissions, then apply focused jamming to disrupt small drones and other RF-controlled threats while minimizing interference with friendly communications (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).

The configuration shown to Army Recognition uses two directional panels to build a full 360-degree protected bubble through sector coverage, with the product placard describing 90-degree sectors that can be combined to cover the full azimuth. The same data board highlights edge computing and software-defined radio processing for RF detection, paired with SDR and machine learning algorithms to recognize known emitters and flag unfamiliar ones in real time. For base defense and forward operating sites, that architecture matters because it is not limited to one band or one manufacturer’s control link. The system is also marketed around disciplined electromagnetic effects, with selectable bands and directional transmission to reduce interference with friendly communications, an issue that has repeatedly punished indiscriminate jamming in combat environments.

The exhibition unit was positioned as an expeditionary, fixed-site style effector rather than a pure handheld jammer. The information displayed at WDS lists an effective range of 2 km against Group 1 targets, aligning with the short-range, low altitude drone threat that dominates daily base defense incidents and tactical harassment. Environmental sealing is stated as IP65, and operating temperatures are listed from -30 °C to +65 °C, a realistic envelope for desert deployments and colder highland conditions. Power is described as accepting 110 to 240 VAC at 50/60 Hz, with a draw under 4 kW, suggesting generator, shore power, or vehicle inverter support without the logistics footprint of legacy electronic warfare shelters.

Anduril’s executives have described the Pulsar line as internally funded and in development since 2020, only publicly revealed in 2024 after the company said systems were already being used by U.S. forces around the world. The core promise is rapid reprogramming and shared learning across deployed units: once one node records a novel signal, the detection and counter technique can be analyzed and distributed back out across the fleet in hours or days rather than months. That model directly addresses a hard battlefield reality, especially visible since 2022: drone controllers, datalinks, and navigation aids mutate quickly, and “static” jammers often fall behind the threat they were bought to stop.

Pulsar can passively sense and classify RF activity, provide direction finding and geolocation to cue optics, radars, or patrols, and then deliver focused electronic attack to break command links or disrupt mission execution. Reporting has also linked Pulsar’s family concept to countering improvised explosive devices by targeting RF triggers, widening its relevance from drones to force protection against remotely initiated attacks. The tactical effect is not just a downed drone. It is time bought for commanders, clearer attribution of where threats are being controlled from, and the ability to shape the local spectrum so friendly forces can maneuver and communicate while the enemy’s systems fail.

For current users, public details remain selective. A 2022 U.S. Special Operations Command counter-drone integration award to Anduril explicitly referenced a family of systems, including Pulsar, indicating U.S. operational adoption through SOCOM pathways. More recently, U.S. Marine Corps installation counter small UAS plans described Pulsar as part of Anduril’s RF sensing and electronic warfare defeat options within a wider base defense architecture managed through the Lattice command and control layer. Beyond the United States, Anduril and multiple trade outlets have stated deployment across multiple continents but have not publicly named the early buyers or the specific national operators, a pattern consistent with sensitive EW fielding.

For countries evaluating Pulsar, the most credible concept of employment is layered defense. A nation can use a system like this to harden air bases, ammunition depots, border outposts, naval facilities, and critical energy infrastructure against low-cost drones and RF-enabled threats, integrating it with radar, electro-optical sensors, and interceptors to cover the gaps where jamming alone is insufficient. Compared with competitors such as man-portable RF rifles and more traditional vehicle EW suites, Pulsar’s differentiator is not simply radiated power; it is adaptability, autonomous spectrum understanding, and the ability to network multiple nodes into a single learning and command picture. Reporting on the newer Pulsar L variant also points to a broader family strategy, with Anduril pushing size, weight, and power down while scaling production, an approach that could make dense, distributed EW coverage more affordable for mid-sized militaries. At the same time, any serious procurement should assume an adversary will adapt, including shifting to more autonomous drones and navigation schemes, which is why Pulsar is most compelling when treated as a continuously updated spectrum weapon inside a multi-layer counter UAS architecture rather than a standalone solution.