South African defence company Centauri has unveiled its next-generation TriAD hard-kill counter-UAV system, designed to protect against the growing threat of drones.
This advanced system features a two-tier armament platform, utilizing the CRx-30 (30×113 mm) for medium to long-range engagements and the CRx-40 (40×51 mm) for close-range threats. Both weapons are capable of firing programmable fragmentation ammunition, enhancing their effectiveness against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
First reported by defenceWeb, Centauri Technologies is known for its innovation in turret and weapons systems, Centauri Technologies specializes in advanced remote-controlled weapon systems and anti-drone technologies.
The TriAD system is a multi-layered hard-kill solution specifically engineered to detect, track, identify, and neutralize enemy drones and unmanned systems. By combining layered sensor fusion with AI-powered computer vision, the system ensures accurate measurement, target tracking, and ballistic calculations.
This sophisticated approach, paired with a dual effector system, significantly increases the probability of successfully hitting and eliminating targets.
The rapid evolution of UAV technology, including the development of jam-resistant and fibre-optic cable-controlled variants, has highlighted the urgent need for reliable hard-kill countermeasures.
In response to this challenge, Centauri’s TriAD system is built to address next-generation threats, offering protection for vehicles, bases, and critical assets. Its key features include multi-layered detection and tracking sensors, AI-driven computer vision and fire control, and a dual-effector weapon system capable of delivering 30 mm and 40 mm airburst munitions.
While jamming technology has been a popular counter-drone measure due to its ease of use and low cost, it is increasingly becoming ineffective against advanced UAVs. In conflict zones such as Ukraine, both Russian and Ukrainian forces have deployed fibre-optic cable-controlled UAVs for attack missions, with cable lengths extending up to 40 km.
These UAVs are immune to jamming, making hard-kill solutions like the TriAD system essential for neutralizing such threats.
The TriAD system’s layered sensing architecture is a critical component of its effectiveness. Long-range detection begins with radio frequency (RF) analysers, capable of identifying UAV signatures up to 10 km away. Mid-range radar provides precision tracking at distances of 3.5 km, while close-range acoustic sensors (effective up to 400 m) and AI-enabled 360° optical sensors detect low-signature threats.
These sensors work in concert to cue the electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) module, which confirms targets and supports visual identification and engagement decisions.
Once a target is detected and tracked, the system’s remote weapon station (RWS) is activated. The RWS features a two-tier armament platform: the CRx-30 engages medium to long-range targets out to 1,000 m, while the CRx-40 handles close-range threats up to 500 m. Both weapons are equipped to fire programmable fragmentation (airburst) ammunition, which greatly enhances the likelihood of successfully neutralizing the target.
Centauri emphasizes that its multi-layered drone protection system offers a comprehensive solution to the evolving threat posed by unmanned attack drones and vehicles. The TriAD system is particularly well-suited for a variety of applications, including vehicle convoy protection, base perimeter security, oil infrastructure defense, power station protection, and safeguarding critical assets.
In a statement, Centauri highlighted the precision, reliability, and firepower of its products, noting that their integrated systems are designed not only for lethality but also for seamless integration into existing defence frameworks. This ensures a superior strategic advantage for users of the TriAD system, positioning it as a cutting-edge solution in the fight against modern UAV threats.
