Honeywell Aerospace and Odys Aviation have collaborated to develop a persistent airborne defense solution designed to protect critical infrastructure from rapidly evolving drone threats.
The partnership integrates Honeywell Aerospace’s Stationary and Mobile UAS Reveal and Intercept (SAMURAI) autonomous platform onto Odys Aviation’s Laila Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). This Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) is the result of more than a year of joint development and systems integration. The project aligns with the United States national strategy to strengthen domestic leadership in advanced aviation and accelerate the deployment of American-built drone technologies for defense and infrastructure protection.
The Laila-SAMURAI system establishes a new defensive layer positioned between ground-based sensors and high-end missile defense systems. By providing an airborne tier of protection, the technology reduces reliance on expensive kinetic defenses and extends coverage across vast or remote areas, such as refineries, pipelines, and offshore production platforms.
Matt Milas, President, Defense and Space, Honeywell Aerospace, “SAMURAI delivers critical counter-UAS capabilities with proven reliability, scalability and seamless integration into existing defense architectures. By leveraging Honeywell’s long history in avionics, sensors and defense systems, we are enabling C-UAS capabilities that protect farther, respond faster and operate with minimal downtime.”
These remarks from Milas highlight the system’s focus on reliability and integration. Honeywell, a NASDAQ-listed company, specializes in aerospace products and services, control technologies for buildings and industry, and performance materials.
James Dorris, CEO of Odys Aviation, stated, “Drone threats have fundamentally changed the economics and operational requirements of air defense. Critical infrastructure and forward-operating locations require persistent protection across large areas and the ability to engage threats at the horizon long before they’re at the doorstep. By combining Honeywell’s SAMURAI system with the endurance, runway independence and onboard power capability of Laila, we’re introducing a new airborne defense layer designed for today and into the future.”
The Laila UAV serves as the primary airborne application for the SAMURAI system. Its hybrid propulsion system is compatible with Jet A, Jet A-1, and JP-8 fuels, providing the onboard power necessary to maintain flight for up to eight hours with a 450-mile range. Because the aircraft is runway-independent and does not require dedicated charging infrastructure, it is suited for rapid deployment in remote, expeditionary, or offshore environments.
The SAMURAI system itself was developed using model-based systems engineering to provide a modular, turnkey solution. It can incorporate various sensors and effectors based on specific customer requirements. The system is also compliant with Modular Open Systems Approach standards, ensuring interoperability and long-term sustainment within existing defense architectures.
