L3Harris is introducing a software upgrade that turns tactical radios into an intelligent response network designed to help defend against small attack drones.
The “Wraith Shield” unlocks AI-powered radio frequency (RF) sensing capabilities, essentially giving soldiers an integrated counter-drone system embedded directly into their existing communications gear.
According to L3Harris Product Management Director Rob Mariuz, it is the first radio-sensing product on the market capable of connecting to distributed data networks.
With this approach, each soldier’s radio becomes a detection node feeding into a shared battlefield picture, contributing to a layered drone defense alongside other L3Harris systems such as VAMPIRE.
Wraith Shield is also designed to function as a stand-alone capability.
“Wraith Shield is a prime example of how L3Harris continues to innovate as the Trusted Disruptor in the market,” L3Harris Mission Critical Communications President Chris Aebli said.
“It enables operators to disrupt hostile drone signals directly from their radios. With the press of a button, personnel can neutralize attritable unmanned systems, causing them to drop from the sky.”
Visualizing Targets
Wraith Shield is aided by a visualization system from DataShapes AI that allows soldiers to detect potential threats in the electromagnetic spectrum around their position.
This capability is delivered through the GlobalEdge platform, which converts RF data into real-time, actionable intelligence at the tactical edge, without relying on cloud servers or centralized processing.
DataShapes’ software classifies RF signals from connected devices and displays them directly on an end-user device, enabling soldiers to identify and respond to potential aerial threats.
“This capability closes the gap between sensing and action in a way that directly impacts survivability on the battlefield,” DataShapes AI President Paul Craft said.
“By delivering clear, real-time visibility of the electromagnetic environment to the tactical edge, we are giving warfighters the situational awareness … they need to see-sense-shoot and outpace adversaries in increasingly complex and contested environments.”
Putting Shields Up
Wraith Shield will be deployed on the RF-9820S Compact Team Radio system, with an embedded version for the RF-9820S-ER scheduled for release later this year.
It will also be available as a software upgrade on all radios supporting the legacy Wraith system, covering more than 100,000 units already fielded to military users.
“It brings sensors to the frontline and the tactical edge, because the soldiers already have the body-worn communications systems,” L3Harris Product Management Lead Tom Sheehan stressed.
“The soldiers who would benefit most from Wraith Shield already carry the equipment needed to use it.”
