Urban Counter-UAS Operational Prototype
![Commercial unmanned aerial systems, like the one pictured above, are increasingly flown in urban areas; if used for illicit purposes, they can pose dangers to civilians.](/sites/default/files/styles/ifde_wysiwyg_full/public/project/image/2018-04/508506-10D_smaller.jpg?itok=DUnilsS0)
Inexpensive, easy-to-use commercial unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have created new air security challenges. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recognizes the threat posed by small UAS and is developing counter-UAS strategies. As part of that effort, DHS S&T has tasked Lincoln Laboratory with establishing the Urban Counter-UAS Operational Prototype (UCOP). This system will enable the testing and development of new counter-UAS technologies in urban environments. The UCOP system includes an integration laboratory in a facility on Hanscom Air Force Base, local urban test sites, and targeted regional prototypes.