Anti-Drone Warfare at Sea: Matching Sensors and Effectors to the Threat - Naval News

Anti-drone warfare at sea is being framed as a full “kill chain” problem, requiring detection, identification, tracking and hard-kill engagement matched to the threat posed by Tier 2 OWA drones. The article, written by Hasan Özyurt, a (R) Rear Admiral working at ULAQ Global as Naval Systems Coordinator, argues that forward deployment is essential because maritime defenses cannot begin at the shoreline. It also emphasizes “tiered overlap,” using a three-tier framework that links Tier 1 Counter-UAS, Tier 2 ADW and Tier 3 Anti-Air Warfare to cover different parts of the threat spectrum. The piece describes how failure in any one link allows drones to “leak” through, which could be fatal against ports, energy installations, or ships at anchor. It states Tier 2 drones may present RCS as low as 0.1 m², challenging legacy air-search radars, and notes AESA radar capabilities and platform constraints.