During the 2025–2026 academic year, Airborne Defense partnered with students at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology to sponsor a senior design project focused on developing a new aerial platform called PhantomForge™. The project brings together graduating seniors from Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Engineering to design and build a modular drone platform capable of supporting counter-UAS testing.
Mechanical engineering students are responsible for the design and development of the drone’s structural platform, including the airframe and payload integration. Electrical and computer engineering students are developing the onboard systems that enable the aircraft to operate, communicate, and perform testing in contested electronic environments.
PhantomForge™ is designed to support organizations testing aerial defense technologies in environments where drones may encounter jamming, spoofing, and other forms of electronic interference. The platform provides a modular and expendable system that allows defense teams to evaluate how counter-drone technologies perform against evolving aerial threats.
The aircraft being developed through the partnership is engineered to weigh less than 20 pounds while maintaining a durable frame capable of surviving drops of up to 400 feet. It will carry a specialized payload designed to support counter-UAV testing and experimentation.
Through this partnership, Airborne Defense and South Dakota Mines are combining academic engineering talent with real-world defense challenges to help develop technologies that strengthen aerial defense systems and improve preparedness against emerging threats.
Mechanical engineering students are responsible for the design and development of the drone’s structural platform, including the airframe and payload integration. Electrical and computer engineering students are developing the onboard systems that enable the aircraft to operate, communicate, and perform testing in contested electronic environments.
PhantomForge™ is designed to support organizations testing aerial defense technologies in environments where drones may encounter jamming, spoofing, and other forms of electronic interference. The platform provides a modular and expendable system that allows defense teams to evaluate how counter-drone technologies perform against evolving aerial threats.
The aircraft being developed through the partnership is engineered to weigh less than 20 pounds while maintaining a durable frame capable of surviving drops of up to 400 feet. It will carry a specialized payload designed to support counter-UAV testing and experimentation.
Through this partnership, Airborne Defense and South Dakota Mines are combining academic engineering talent with real-world defense challenges to help develop technologies that strengthen aerial defense systems and improve preparedness against emerging threats.