ABSI Aerospace & Defense Shares Thought Leadership on Affordable Aerial Targets at the 2025 Counter-UAS Conference in Huntsville
Huntsville, AL — September 2025 — ABSI Aerospace & Defense participated in this year’s Counter-UAS Conference, where the company highlighted its expanding portfolio of U.S.-manufactured aerial targets and shared insights on the future of realistic, affordable training in today’s rapidly evolving counter-UAS environment.
As part of the event, ABSI’s Vice President for CxISRT, retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Jay “Chewy” Frey, delivered a breakout technical session focused on how attritable aerial targets are reshaping the way government programs test, measure, and validate counter-UAS systems.
“The future of CUAS training depends on realism and affordability,” said ABSI CEO Chris Sacco. “It was important for our team to contribute to this discussion. Our goal is to help the community accelerate development, improve operator readiness, and ensure our nation maintains its leadership in the race for drone dominance.”
During his session, Frey emphasized several key themes influencing today’s test and training environment:
- Affordability challenges facing CUAS programs as threat replication requirements grow
- Attritable aerial targets as an enabling technology that allows programs to scale
- The importance of realistic live training against Group 1–3 threats
- The critical connection between operator readiness, safety, and scenario design
- How service delivery and multi-axis threat replication matter just as much as cost
Drawing from recent support to kinetic systems testing, Frey discussed how ABSI’s field teams design and fly complex, multi-layered threat scenarios that allow evaluators to stress sensors, shooters, and command systems in realistic ways.
Showcasing an Expanded Portfolio of U.S.-Made Aerial Targets
At the event, ABSI highlighted its growing suite of aerial target systems, ranging from low-cost quadcopters designed for mass-production to the Group 3 Surrogate, which serves as a surrogate for long-range, one-way attack systems such as the Shahed-136.
The team also showcased:
- Live demonstration footage from recent kinetic test events
- Mission support insights from ABSI’s veteran-led operator teams
- Procurement pathways, including direct ordering through the DLA SOE/TLS contract
The expanded portfolio reflects ABSI’s commitment to supporting U.S. Government demand for affordable, American-made, attritable systems as part of the broader national drone dominance strategy.
Supporting the Nation’s Push for Drone Dominance
With DoD and Congress placing increased emphasis on mass-produced unmanned systems, ABSI continues to align its aerial targets division to support:
- Attritable UAS development
- Accelerated test and evaluation
- Training readiness across DoD test ranges and schoolhouses
- Domestic, NDAA-compliant production
“ABSI is deeply committed to supporting the nation’s push for drone dominance,” Frey said. “Affordable, realistic targets remain one of the most important tools for test officers and instructors preparing units for the threats they face today.”
About ABSI Aerospace & Defense
ABSI Aerospace & Defense is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business specializing in U.S.-manufactured aerial targets, advanced unmanned systems support, robotic and autonomous systems training, and mission-focused professional services. ABSI’s veteran-led teams support operational test events, training pipelines, and unmanned systems integration efforts across DoD, allied partners, and U.S. Government agencies.