Duke University is leading a $24 million US Army research center called ICE-CEM to develop counter-unmanned aerial system technologies. The multi-university consortium includes researchers from seven other institutions and Lockheed Martin.
What's happening
- Duke's Miroslav Pajic directs ICE-CEM, a $24 million Army research center focused on detecting, disrupting and neutralizing adversarial drones.
- The consortium includes eight universities: Duke, University of Texas at Austin, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, Washington University in St. Louis, Princeton University, Pennsylvania State University, and industry partner Lockheed Martin.
- Duke engineers also received a separate $9 million award over six years to lead the RAPTORS project, developing low size, weight, power and cost systems to identify electromagnetic signal sources in contested environments.
Why it matters
- Counter-UAS capabilities address a critical defense need as adversarial drone threats evolve in sophistication and prevalence.
- The consortium pools expertise in wireless systems, satellite navigation, cybersecurity, edge computing, AI and autonomy to accelerate development of integrated counter-measures.
- SWaP-C systems developed under RAPTORS enable rapid deployment of signal detection in contested environments where traditional infrastructure is degraded or denied.
Going deeper
- ICE-CEM focuses on cyber and electromagnetic convergence approaches, combining electronic warfare and cybersecurity disciplines.
- RAPTORS partners include Northeastern University, Yale University and Raytheon alongside Duke's technical leadership.
- The research targets both detection and active neutralization of unmanned systems, expanding the counter-UAS toolkit beyond passive observation.
Financial impact
- Duke receives $24 million in government support for ICE-CEM, timing not disclosed.
- The RAPTORS project awards $9 million over six years to Duke-led engineers, with funding spread across fiscal 2026 through 2032.
Source: unmannedairspace.info · Sep 8, 2026 · Drafted with Claude, reviewed by Industrial Base Alpha.