The U.S. Navy is putting Northrop Grumman’s DRAKE counter-drone electronic warfare system aboard Ohio-class guided-missile submarines, including USS Ohio, giving the vessels a way to detect and disrupt small drones when they are not hiding underwater.
DRAKE, short for Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare, tracks small unmanned aircraft and can jam the radio links connecting them to their operators, Army Recognition reported, citing information Janes published ahead of AUSA 2026 in Washington, D.C. Navy officials have confirmed DRAKE deployments on guided-missile submarines, the report said.
Exposed on the surface
Submarines depend on staying submerged for survival, but they are more exposed while surfaced, approaching port or transferring people and equipment. In those moments, small drones could get close enough to observe movements or identify a vessel. Commercially available models carrying cameras let adversaries gather intelligence without maritime patrol aircraft.
Listen first, jam when authorized
DRAKE uses a software-defined radio to watch the electromagnetic spectrum for signals tied to small drones. According to Northrop Grumman, it can detect, identify, alert operators to and track potential threats, then apply electronic countermeasures when authorized. Operators can watch a drone without jamming it, leaving that choice to the situation and the rules of engagement.
The approach is non-kinetic. Rather than destroying an aircraft with missiles, guns or interceptor drones, it tries to interrupt the link to the operator. How well that works depends on the drone’s communications design, frequencies and ability to operate on its own. The method suits submarines, where adding dedicated air-defense weapons could be difficult to integrate.
Upgrades from field feedback
Northrop is adding hardware and software updates based on operational feedback, including an Android-based operator interface meant to simplify use. Michael Johnson, a Northrop Grumman fellow, said the company keeps modifying the system as deployments reveal how drones and the electromagnetic environment change. An open architecture lets updates arrive without replacing hardware already installed.
Why USS Ohio
USS Ohio is one of four Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines the Navy converted to carry conventional weapons. Each can carry up to 154 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles in 22 modified tubes, along with up to 66 special operations personnel. Protecting such boats during exposed moments helps preserve mission security.
What is still unknown
The Navy has not publicly detailed how DRAKE is installed on USS Ohio, its detection range, its jamming coverage or its procedures. It also remains unclear whether the new Android-based interface is already aboard the submarine or whether the naval version includes every electronic warfare function.
Beyond submarines, Northrop says the Army, Navy and Air Force use DRAKE technology. The system draws on the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare, or JCREW, family, originally built to counter radio-controlled explosive threats.
The deployment shows how inexpensive drones are pushing electronic warfare tools once associated with ground forces onto high-value naval platforms. Submarine stealth remains the primary defense, but DRAKE adds a layer for the moments when stealth is reduced.