Daniel Marrujo sits down with Tyler Griffin, Lockheed Martin's Counter-UAS Director, at African Lion 2026 to explore the Sanctum Counter-UAS system — a layered, multi-vendor defense platform built to detect, identify, and neutralize small drones, one-way attack munitions, and drone swarms. The conversation moves through a live equipment walkthrough on the exercise floor, covering low-cost radar detection, RF signal analysis, a crossbow laser weapon system, and a net-capturing drone hunter, all unified under a single operator control interface.
The episode centers on the core challenge facing counter-drone operations: distinguishing a genuine threat from harmless air traffic, then neutralizing it with minimal risk to the surrounding environment. Griffin breaks down how Sanctum layers three independent sensor types, radar, RF detection, and dual camera (daytime and thermal), to build operator confidence before any action is taken, and how the system's laser and net-capture tools offer different response options depending on the situation and collateral risk.
Sanctum solves this by aggregating partner sensors and effectors from companies including IPG Photonics and Fordham Technologies into one battle management system, giving operators verified, real-time targeting data and multiple engagement options.
What You'll Discover in This Episode
01:43 — Tyler Griffin introduces the Sanctum Counter-UAS system and Lockheed Martin's role in aggregating partner sensor and effector technology for African Lion 2026.
02:36 — The three-layer detection stack is explained: low-cost radar, RF detection, and dual daytime/thermal cameras working together to confirm a threat.
04:00 — The laser weapon system's origins in commercial cutting and welding technology, developed with IPG Photonics, are revealed alongside its multi-kilometer engagement range.
07:58 — A net-launching interceptor drone captures rather than destroys adversary drones, preserving the hardware for intelligence gathering and reverse engineering.
09:08 — The Fordham Technologies Drone Hunter's operational range and how it integrates with Sanctum's radar cueing for extended intercept reach.
11:48 — Griffin details how the entire Sanctum system went from concept to fielded minimum viable product in just twelve months, with software updates driven by weekly soldier feedback at African Lion.
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