Radar-processing software used in counter-UAS exercise supports NATO open standard
NewsAugust 04, 2026
CAMBRIDGE, U.K. Radar and sensor company Cambridge Pixel reports that its radar-processing software demonstrated support for SAPIENT, the open standard adopted by NATO for sensor integration in counter-uncrewed systems, during the Layered Counter-UAS Initiative (LCI-X) Crucible 1-26 event hosted by Romania during April 2026 at Capu Midia Training Range, as part of Exercise Eastern Phoenix 26.
During the exercise, the SPX Technologies BlackTalon C-UAS [uncrewed aerial system] leveraged Cambridge Pixel software for radar processing, multisensor track fusion, data recording, and operator display functions. Cambridge Pixel notes that its technology combined radar, electro-optical, and other sensor inputs into a unified detection and tracking picture, with SAPIENT-compliant interfaces supporting integration across vendors.
SAPIENT (BSI Flex 335 V2.0) is the open standard developed by the U.K.’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to support plug-and-play sensor integration in counter-UAS and wider surveillance systems and is increasingly specified in NATO and allied procurement (STANREC/AEDP-4869).
The event -- the first demonstration under the NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) initiative for evaluating C-UAS capabilities in realistic, threat-informed testing environments -- attracted approximately 500 military personnel and specialists from Romania and NATO member states, alongside UAS and C-UAS capabilities from industry.
