AUSA 2025: Honeywell Debuts SAMURAI Counter-UAS Follows US Demos Neutralizing Drone Swarms.

Honeywell unveiled its SAMURAI counter-UAS system at AUSA 2025 in Washington after late-September demonstrations for U.S. military operators from a ground vehicle and an aerostat above 1,000 feet. The modular, sensor and effector agnostic architecture aims to slot into existing defenses and keep a continuous track on multiple low-altitude drones in cluttered airspace.

Honeywell is pitching a plug-and-play approach to countering small unmanned aircraft, formally showing its Stationary and Mobile UAS Reveal and Intercept system, or SAMURAI, on the AUSA 2025 floor a few weeks after U.S. demonstrations. Company officials describe SAMURAI as a battle management layer that fuses third-party sensors and effectors, designed to detect, track, and defeat swarms while riding on a vehicle or fixed site. In trials disclosed on September 22, the company operated SAMURAI from a ground platform and flew key elements on an aerostat more than 1,000 feet up, a nod to the need for elevated sensing over cluttered terrain.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Honeywell’s SAMURAI counter-UAS system on display at AUSA 2025 in Washington (Picture source: Honeywell)

At the booth, Honeywell highlighted an open, integrative approach. SAMURAI is developed with Model-Based Systems Engineering and aligns with MOSA standards, allowing customers to combine selected detectors and effectors without disrupting command-and-control chains. The September demonstrations supported this approach by bringing together components from BlueHalo, Leonardo DRS, Pierce Aerospace, Silent Sentinel, Walaris, Rocky Research, and Versatol, with a single supervisory point for updates to maintain coherence as threats evolve.

Three technical points stand out. First, using an aerostat above 1,000 feet alters detection geometry and extends the decision-to-fire loop by a few critical seconds when multiple micro-UAS approach from offset bearings. Second, MOSA compliance shortens integration cycles for new sensors or effectors, useful as commercial platforms refresh quickly and countermeasures must keep pace. Third, combining radio-frequency detection with electro-optical means improves classification in dense urban settings and in look-down situations, a well-documented shortcoming for very short-range systems.

In terms of employment, SAMURAI is positioned as a link in a multi-layer air defense. In a convoy, a vehicle-mounted node accompanies the column, provides early warning, and cues jamming, RF takeover, or dedicated interceptors, depending on rules of engagement. On a fixed site, aerostat elevation expands the horizon and helps maintain continuous track, then hands targets to heterogeneous effectors already in service. Building on prior investments in sensors and jammers reduces logistics burden, avoids training breaks, and allows gradual force growth without reconfiguring an entire base.

The appearance at AUSA 2025 is not incidental. The exhibition gathers decision-makers focused on near-term capabilities, and Honeywell presented SAMURAI as sensor- and effector-agnostic, closer to a battle manager than a simple toolbox, with a common interface to aggregate detection and interception. The communication emphasized integration maturity and the flexibility needed to follow mixed attack profiles, from a lone scout to saturation by clusters of low-cost aircraft.

Strategically, the scope extends beyond base protection. The rapid spread of inexpensive UAS, the use of swarms to saturate defenses, and daily attrition observed across several theaters push allies to densify their counter-UAS layer, from oil ports to ammunition depots to command centers. A commercial, modular system that can be vehicle-borne or aerostat-based as required, and tied into digital support architectures, meets this demand with a lower opportunity cost. This drives stronger competition among vendors on three central criteria: interoperability with existing assets, performance in congested electromagnetic environments, and the pace of sensor and effector refresh. The U.S. demonstrations followed by the AUSA showcase place SAMURAI within this framework and indicate export prospects for forces seeking near-term capability without rewriting their overall doctrine.