Tactien Group launches CAST platform for independent counter-drone testing
The aviation advisory firm introduces a standardized software tool to evaluate counter-UAS detection systems against real-world site variables and telemetry.
Key points
- Tactien Group launched CAST to standardize counter-drone system evaluations for critical infrastructure sites.
- The platform scores vendor performance against red team telemetry using deterministic metrics like detection probability.
- Integration for ground, maritime, and underwater unmanned systems is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.
The Tactien Group has announced the launch of CAST, a software platform designed for planning, running, and scoring counter-drone evaluations in customer environments. According to Industrial Cyber, the independent aviation advisory firm released this tool to provide measured answers on which detection systems perform effectively at specific sites.
CAST holds every vendor to the same scoring standard by analyzing detection feeds against red team unmanned aerial system telemetry. The platform evaluates test events against a catalog of key performance indicators, including probability of detection, track continuity, and false positives. This approach ensures that raw test data can be re-scored under multiple operational standards or specific operator criteria.
Context and Background
Utilities, refineries, data centers, and military installations are increasingly purchasing counter-UAS detection systems based largely on vendor specification sheets and staged demonstrations. Industrial Cyber reports that these demonstration results rarely translate directly to field performance. Variables such as sensor placement, radio frequency propagation, and network latency are often not assessed in conjunction with technology performance during initial sales processes.
A sensor that performs well in an open desert environment may behave very differently beside high-voltage electric lines, a data center substation, or a base perimeter. The Tactien advisory team uses the CAST platform to conduct comprehensive testing and evaluation work. This includes site surveys, mapping, red-team flight planning, test card development, flight operations, detection analysis, and performance reporting.
Who is Affected
The launch targets end-users who need to validate procurement decisions beyond published specifications. Nate Ernst, Founder and President of Tactien, stated that most users rely on staged demonstrations that show a system can perform, but not that it will perform in their specific environment. He noted that CAST was built to test variables unique to a customer’s site and score each vendor against what that customer needs.
Tactien remains independent and has zero financial stake in the technologies that are evaluated. This independence allows the advisory team to keep the testing process consistent from site to site and vendor to vendor. The platform provides a deterministic scoring method that removes bias from the evaluation of competing counter-drone solutions.
What should you do?
Organizations responsible for critical infrastructure security should review their current procurement criteria for counter-UAS systems. Operators should assess whether their current evaluation methods account for site-specific variables such as RF propagation and network latency. Stakeholders should monitor for updates regarding the integration of ground, maritime, and underwater unmanned systems, which is scheduled for Q1 2027.
What to do and how to stay safe: Tactien Group
- Review current vendor specification sheets to identify gaps in real-world performance data for your specific site environment.
- Evaluate whether your procurement process includes independent, deterministic scoring against red team telemetry and unique site variables.
- Monitor industry updates for the scheduled Q1 2027 integration of ground, maritime, and underwater unmanned system testing capabilities.
- Ensure that any counter-drone evaluation methodology accounts for sensor placement, RF propagation, and network latency impacts on detection accuracy.
Step-by-step guide: Mobile Device Security: How to Protect Data Beyond Passwords
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
What does the CAST platform stand for?
CAST stands for Counter-UXS Assessment & System Testing, a software platform used by Tactien Group for planning and scoring counter-drone evaluations.
Which industries are targeted by this new testing platform?
The platform targets utilities, refineries, data centers, and military installations that are purchasing counter-UAS detection systems for critical infrastructure protection.
When will ground and maritime system testing be available?
Integration for ground, maritime, and underwater unmanned systems is scheduled for the first quarter of 2027, according to the source material.
