BAE Systems Integrates US EchoShield Radar Into Its BATS Counter-Drone System
Selected after a two-week trial in Scotland, the US-made radar can track Group 3 drones out to 11.4 kilometers as part of BAE’s layered BATS architecture.
British defense contractor BAE Systems has integrated the U.S.-made Echodyne EchoShield radar into BATS — BAE’s Anti-Threat System — its layered architecture for countering drones. Echodyne confirmed on November 10 that its radar had been selected for BATS, and Army Recognition reported the development on November 12.
EchoShield is a medium-range 4D radar built on Metamaterials Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) technology, with no mechanically rotating antenna. Operating in the Ku band between 15.4 and 16.6 GHz, it covers a 130-degree horizontal and 90-degree vertical field of view with angular accuracy better than half a degree, and can track more than 1,000 targets simultaneously with position updates at a 10 Hz rate.
According to figures published by the manufacturer, the unit measures roughly 42.5 by 33 by 18 centimeters, weighs 17.8 kilograms and draws under 250 watts. Typical detection ranges vary by target radar cross-section: 2.7 to 4.8 kilometers for Group 1 drones, 4.8 to 6.4 kilometers for Group 2, and up to 11.4 kilometers for Group 3. Ethernet interfaces let the radar share data with other sensors and effectors on the network.
BATS itself is an open-architecture system linking radar, electro-optical sensors, electronic warfare equipment and kinetic effectors under a shared command-and-control picture. Operators can select a response based on drone category while retaining human control over any engagement decision, and the system can be deployed at fixed sites, on a temporary basis, or mounted on mobile platforms.
Per Army Recognition’s account, BAE ran a two-week trial campaign in Scotland — announced October 1 — covering three scenarios: multi-sensor detection and identification; electronic-warfare integration with software-defined radios against operator-confirmed targets; and a full detect-to-engage sequence in a complex, mixed-drone scenario that also showcased an integrated weapon system. The report does not confirm whether EchoShield itself took part in those earlier Scotland trials, as opposed to being added to BATS afterward.
BAE says it is continuing development toward operational deployment, including plans to add further sensors and effectors to the architecture, though the company has not named a customer or disclosed any procurement contract. No direct quotes from BAE or government officials appear in the report.
Army Recognition frames the move against lessons drawn from Ukraine and the Middle East, where fiber-optic-controlled drones have proven resistant to RF jamming and multi-aircraft attacks have threatened to overwhelm single-sensor defenses — pressures that are pushing militaries toward layered, multi-sensor architectures like BATS. The report also cautions that a radar’s raw track count is not the same as the number of targets that can actually be engaged, which depends on effector capacity, ammunition and engagement time, and that terrain still limits low-altitude coverage regardless of sensor quality.
The deal adds to a pattern: Norway’s Kongsberg previously fitted Echodyne radars to its PROTECTOR remote weapon stations, meaning the same U.S. radar technology now sits inside counter-drone systems built by at least two separate European defense manufacturers.
Echodyne itself is meanwhile in the middle of a major ownership change. U.S. autonomous systems firm Shield AI announced on November 5 that it would acquire Echodyne in a deal worth up to $5.3 billion, with $4.8 billion due at closing and the remaining $500 million tied to performance milestones; the transaction is expected to close in early 2027 and would fold Echodyne into Shield AI’s Mission Systems business. BAE’s selection of EchoShield for BATS therefore comes while Echodyne’s corporate future is still being finalized, adding a variable to how the integration proceeds.
Which countries or platforms will eventually field BATS with EchoShield, when it might become operational, and the scope of any future contract all remain undisclosed for now.
Sources:
Army Recognition, “UK BAE Systems Integrates US Radar to Counter Drone Threats with Layered Air Defense Technology,” November 12, 2026, https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/army-news/2026/uk-bae-systems-integrates-us-radar-to-counter-drone-threats-with-layered-air-defense-technology — primary source for technical specifications, trial details and strategic context.
The Defense Post, “Shield AI to Acquire Radar Maker Echodyne in $5.3 Billion Deal,” November 9, 2026, https://thedefensepost.com/2026/11/09/shield-ai-echodyne-acquisition/ — used for background on Echodyne’s pending acquisition.
