# Artis

> Artis, LLC (Advanced Real-Time Information Systems) is a Herndon, Virginia defense and technology developer that builds systems for problems measured in microseconds. Founded in 1999 by Keith Brendley, the company is best known for active protection systems for military vehicles - Iron Curtain and its third-generation successor, Sentinel - that detect and defeat incoming rockets, missiles and drone-borne threats in fractions of a second. Beyond defense, Artis applies its high-speed sensing and parallel-processing work to highway worker safety, 3D imaging and pedestrian monitoring.

- **Founded:** 1999
- **Headquarters:** Herndon, Virginia, United States
- **Founders:** Keith Brendley (Founder, President & Managing Partner)
- **Team size:** ~170 employees
- **Products:** Sentinel, Iron Curtain, Digital Armor / Underbelly IED Blast Mitigation, SmartMat, Autonomous Highway Safety Systems
- **Notable:** Iron Curtain achieved a perfect score in U.S. government testing in April 2013., Iron Curtain technology featured on National Geographic television in March 2015., Selected by the U.S. Army to be evaluated as an active protection system for the Stryker combat vehicle (2016-2018).

## Products & services

- **Sentinel** — Third-generation, software-defined, modular close-in active protection system (APS) unveiled January 2024. Designed for full top-attack protection against drones, RPGs, anti-tank guided missiles and tank-fired rounds, with multishot capability and expansibility via software upgrade. Marketed overseas as Improved Iron Curtain (I2C).
- **Iron Curtain** — Active protection system originating from a 2005 DARPA program. Uses radar to detect incoming projectiles and an optical sensor to track them within ~1 cm to select an aim point, then fires a downward countermeasure that deflagrates an RPG warhead without detonating it. Achieved a perfect score in U.S. government testing in April 2013.
- **Digital Armor / Underbelly IED Blast Mitigation** — High-speed sensing and actuation work aimed at diverting or mitigating explosive blasts against vehicles.
- **SmartMat** — Internet-connected pedestrian traffic monitoring system that counts people entering and exiting buildings or events; developed with funding from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- **Autonomous Highway Safety Systems** — Research and systems applying microsecond sensing to protect highway workers and improve automotive safety.
- **3D Imaging & Low-Power Sensors** — Advanced low-power sensing and 3D imaging research for defense and commercial use.

## Achievements

- Iron Curtain achieved a perfect score in U.S. government testing in April 2013.
- Iron Curtain technology featured on National Geographic television in March 2015.
- Selected by the U.S. Army to be evaluated as an active protection system for the Stryker combat vehicle (2016-2018).
- Unveiled Sentinel, a third-generation top-attack-capable APS, in January 2024.
- Signed an international joint-venture MOU with UAE's Bin Hilal Enterprises at Eurosatory 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2024-06** — Artis and UAE's Bin Hilal Enterprises announced a joint-venture MOU at Eurosatory in Paris to provide the Sentinel active protection system to military vehicle fleets.
- **2024-01** — Artis publicly unveiled Sentinel, its third-generation software-defined active protection system designed to counter top-attack threats including drones.

## Links

- Website: https://artisllc.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/artis

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/artis
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-10