The Tactien Group has introduced Counter-UXS Assessment and System Testing (CAST™), a patent-pending analytical toolset providing analysts with a consistent, evidence-based framework for evaluating Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) performance and supporting program decisions.
CAST supports site mapping and threat analysis, incorporating internal and public GIS data to identify likely interference areas during test planning. The toolset scores vendor performance across detection, tracking, and classification against the same set of KPIs. Analysts can also replay test events and compare telemetry tracks in 3D before generating a performance report. The final judgments remain with Tactien’s analysts, with CAST providing a consistent evidence base and evaluation method across sites and vendors.
Tactien uses CAST within its independent, vendor-neutral C-UAS evaluation approach. The aviation advisory firm for critical infrastructure has no ties to aircraft OEMs, technology providers, or service providers, and its analysts conduct blind red-team flight testing under operationally realistic conditions, without vendors knowing what flight activity to expect. Tactien-verified flight telemetry serves as an independent control, allowing analysts to compare each detection feed against where the aircraft were and what they were doing.
When selecting C-UAS technology, operators can face significant investment and operational risk. While manufacturer spec sheets and vendor demonstrations provide baseline information, they do not necessarily represent how systems perform in specific operational environments, against unexpected incursions, or alongside competing technologies in the same environment. Public attention surrounding C-UAS field performance has also increased, with JIATF-401 and recent Falcon Peak exercises raising the profile of the technology and the next Falcon Peak set to take place in an urban environment.
Nate Ernst, Founder and President of The Tactien Group, commented, “End-users are recognizing the need for Counter-UAS systems to reduce risks to their assets. The challenge becomes determining which technologies work for a specific environment and then which vendors of that technology perform best. We built CAST to be a common operating picture for complex vetting and validation scenarios, using independent incursion telemetry as the truth. Our analysts use this system, and it’s what makes the results defensible.”
Ed Celiano, Strategic Operations at Tactien, added, “After 35 years of federal engineering work, I’ll tell you a test is only worth what you can reproduce and defend. If two evaluations use different methods, you can’t compare them. CAST gives analysts one method. The judgment stays with the people running the test.”
CAST forms part of Tactien’s broader C-UAS lifecycle services, which include education, program strategy, vendor vetting, testing, validation, analysis, and support. Operators can engage the firm at any stage of the sequence, from building the case for a C-UAS program to confirming that a deployed system performs as advertised and commissioning technology across enterprise footprints.
