US Army’s Next Counter-Drone Weapon Starts in Simulation, Not a Lab

Note: This story was original published by NextGen Defense, and the full article can be found here.

In a strategic shift toward digital-first innovation, the US Army has partnered with Duality AI to create a powerful, AI-driven counter-drone system built entirely in simulation before ever touching real-world hardware.

The system, called “AI Target Detection and Recognition” (AiTDR), will be designed to give infantry troops a critical layer of protection on the battlefield, spotting and identifying hostile drones before they become a threat.

What sets it apart? Everything starts in the virtual world.

Using Duality’s Falcon simulation platform, engineers will train the AI to recognize drone threats with pinpoint accuracy across a wide range of realistic combat scenarios.

The simulated environment will give developers the freedom to test, tweak, and optimize the system from every angle — long before any boots, wheels, or hardware hit the ground.

The result: smarter development, fewer delays, and significantly lower costs.

“The program is transforming how tomorrow’s military technology is developed,” said Duality co-founder Apurva Shah, and is helping to “push the possibilities of AI defense systems for the US Army.”