Dedrone by Axon Takes Flight in Project VANAHEIM

Battlefield innovation is taking place at unprecedented speed. Military and government leaders recognise they must act quickly to counter new, unprecedented threats. For these reasons, it has become impossible to test solutions in a lab or to spend months on costly RFPs or product iterations. The pace of modern military innovation requires counter-drone technologies to be demonstrated in the field — under pressure, in real conditions, with real operators and with no room for error. It is this awareness that gave Project VANAHEIM its start. A joint initiative between the British and US Armies, VANAHEIM is a rapid procurement program designed to put promising Counter Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) technologies through their paces in real-world operational scenarios. The project’s Request for Information drew significant interest from the counter-drone community, and Dedrone by Axon was amongst a few invited to prove their tech in the field.

The Purpose of Project VANAHEIM

VANAHEIM’s mission is clear: to evaluate how well different systems can detect, track, identify, and defeat (DTI-D) Class 1 UAS threats, including FPV drones, in the kind of situations modern soldiers actually face. This isn’t “best case scenario” environment testing; it requires capabilities to be proven in extreme heat and weather, rough terrain and as many conditions commonly encountered on the modern battlefield.In June 2025, Dedrone by Axon joined VANAHEIM 3.0 in Germany with its DedroneOnTheMove (OTM) solution - passive, vehicle-mounted RF DTI-D capability - and, when the dust settled, DedroneOTM was the only vehicle-mounted RF system to detect all known drone threats during the event. That result didn’t just speak to Dedrone’s detection speed and accuracy; it spoke also to how the platform-agnostic, open-architecture approach integrated seamlessly with both TAK and SAPIENT systems, giving operators on both sides of the Atlantic real-time situational awareness, enabling faster, more coordinated joint operational responses.By aligning with standards like SAPIENT, Dedrone is helping lay the foundation for multinational C-UAS collaboration at scale. And, as SAPIENT continues its ratification process within NATO, it opens the door for other NATO member nations to access and act on Dedrone’s real-time DTI-D data. Built to scale DedroneOTM offers a common operational picture that can be shared seamlessly, not only across organisational boundaries, but also between coalition partners.

Poland: Raising the Stakes

Dedrone’s showing in Germany resulted in an invitation to VANAHEIM 4.0 in Poland in July, where even more demanding conditions were experienced. Through it all, DedroneOTM hardware and software never faltered. No performance loss. No downtime. Just continuous detection and tracking, giving soldiers an operational edge they could rely on.Project VANAHEIM offers a glimpse into the future of collaborative defence innovation. By bringing together UK, US, and wider AUKUS and NATO defence partners in a shared testing environment should be the new normal, not only to get effective solutions into the hands of those who need them most, but also ensuring that what is then procured is both fit for purpose and combat-ready.

Learn More at DSEI 2025

Come and see DedroneOTM in action September 9-12 at DSEI 2025 in London, mounted on vehicles including the Thales’ Bushmaster, Supacat HMT, and Polaris MRZR. Dedrone also offers a range of additional C-UAS solutions, including DedroneFixedSite, DedronePortable, and DedroneTactical systems, as well as the DedroneDefender, a new handheld smart RF jammer.  To schedule a meeting during DSEI, or learn more about Dedrone’s C-UAS solutions, contact the team today.