18,479-Ton US Navy Submarine USS Ohio Gets A Counter-Drone System That Can Detect And Jam Small Unmanned Aircraft

The US Navy has installed a counter-drone electronic warfare system aboard USS Ohio, an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine. The system is designed to detect small drones and disrupt their communications during surface operations.

The system known as Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare (DRAKE) detects, identifies and tracks small drones and after that uses jamming radio-frequency to obstruct communication between the aircraft and its operator.

It provides the crew with an additional tool for dealing with particular drones without resorting to any weapons such as missiles or guns. However, the system cannot protect against drones which can operate autonomously not requiring constant communication with the operator.

As Defence publication Janes reports, Northrop Grumman is making some modifications of the system taking into account the experience of its practical application. One of the new features is an Android-based interface aimed at improving user-friendliness of the system.

Software-defined radio is applied to detect and track small unmanned aerial vehicles. Further, operators choose whether they need to activate the jamming function of the drone.

The jamming interferes with radio signals between the drone and the person controlling it. This can disrupt remote control and prevent the aircraft from completing its mission.

Unlike systems that destroy drones with projectiles or interceptor weapons, DRAKE uses electronic warfare to disrupt them.

Still, it may not necessarily affect all UAVs since aircraft capable of independent flight and operation without continuous link to the operator may not be easily jammed.

The effectiveness of jamming depends on the communications system of the drone and environmental conditions.

Neither the version of DRAKE deployed aboard USS Ohio nor the detection and jamming ranges have been disclosed by the US Navy.

Northrop Grumman is making changes to DRAKE’s software and hardware based on feedback from its use in the field.

Michael Johnson, a fellow at the company, said one update includes an Android-based interface intended to make the system easier to operate. He also said deployed systems were interacting with unmanned aircraft systems and learning from those encounters.

DRAKE became an approved US Navy programme in April 2024. In September of the same year, Northrop Grumman obtained yet another production contract for JCREW/DRAKE 2.0.

The DRAKE family includes versions that can be mounted on vehicles or equipment, carried by personnel, or installed at fixed sites. These systems are designed for use at sea and on land. The technology has been used aboard US Navy surface vessels since at least 2021.

Northrop Grumman also makes the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Electronic Warfare (JCREW) family, which is designed to counter small drone threats.

It is not clear whether USS Ohio has received the latest interface upgrades.

Submarines remain covert while underwater, but the situation changes once they surface or conduct their missions in proximity to harbours and coastal facilities.

Small drones can capture images and observe the activity of ships without resorting to large-scale equipment typical of reconnaissance planes. The DRAKE gives the submarine crews one more choice of countermeasure.

USS Ohio is one of the four Ohio-class submarines modified from ballistic-missile submarines into guided-missile submarines (SSGNs). They are capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and conducting special operations.

DRAKE offers another defensive option, but it does not guarantee protection against every type of drone.