Auriga Space Signs Three-Year CRADA with U.S. Army DEVCOM AC to Develop Electromagnetic Accelerator for Counter-UAS

Auriga Space and U.S. Army Partner to Develop Electromagnetic Accelerator for Counter-Drone Operations

Auriga Space has formally signed a three-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center (DEVCOM AC), aimed at advancing electromagnetic (EM) accelerator technology as a low-cost, high-rate-of-fire counter-UAS (C-UAS) solution.

Background and Objectives

In an official statement, Auriga Space noted: "The company has been developing and testing its electromagnetic propulsion technology under an existing Department of the Army contract, and this agreement formally brings DEVCOM AC into that work." Under the terms of the CRADA, both parties will share data and expertise to clarify the current state of technical capability and define a roadmap toward operational deployment of EM-based counter-drone technology.

The Core Challenge in Current Counter-UAS Systems

The statement highlighted that the rise of low-cost, high-volume drone threats has exposed a fundamental contradiction at the heart of existing C-UAS approaches:

• Missile intercept systems: While effective in terms of range and lethality, each engagement carries a high per-shot cost, and magazine depth is insufficient to counter drone swarm-scale attacks.
• Directed energy weapons and other kinetic alternatives: Each carries trade-offs in range, performance, or logistics.

Electromagnetic accelerators are positioned as a way out of this dilemma — substituting electrical energy for chemical propellants to enable large-capacity magazines, rapid and repeatable launch of inert or guided munitions at a fraction of the cost of conventional solutions, and without the logistical burden of propellant resupply.

Auriga's Electromagnetic Technology Architecture

Auriga Space's EM accelerator architecture employs magnetic levitation technology, eliminating bore-contact friction entirely while providing a software-configurable acceleration profile for greater operational flexibility. The company's technology development roadmap includes a containerized, transportable electromagnetic launch platform designed specifically for mobile counter-drone mission requirements.

At its core, this is a reusable, electrically driven launch platform that replaces conventional rocket propulsion with an electromagnetic accelerator — eliminating propellant requirements, dramatically reducing costs, and enabling on-demand launch of a variety of payloads.

Broader Defense Applications

The CRADA builds on Auriga Space's broader portfolio of EM accelerator research conducted for the Department of the Army, encompassing hypersonic test infrastructure support and precision launch applications. It also reflects the defense community's sustained interest in electromagnetic technology as a meaningful complement to existing kinetic and directed-energy counter-UAS systems.

Source: Auriga Space official press release / Unmanned Airspace

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