Team Horizon Shield
Team Horizon Shield
The College of William & Mary
A three-horizon defense system built to restore cost advantage and defeat mass drone threats at range.
The Team
Problem Sponsor
United States Navy
Original Problem Statement
Navy Carrier Air Wing Commanders, who lead all major strike operations from aircraft carriers, currently lack a cost-effective method for shooting down drones, forcing carriers to spend significant resources to neutralize small, low-cost drone attacks.
Beneficiary Discovery Interviews
87
The Problem
When Ryan Zamer, Annika Johnson, and Ella Goodworth signed up for the Hacking for Defense Fall 2025 course, they, along with classmates Matthew Plambeck and Erin Degnan, formed Team Horizon Shield. The team was presented with a critical national security challenge from Problem Sponsor Commander Cameron Conger, who currently serves as a Reserves Commanding Officer attached to the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center in Virginia Beach. The challenge was that the U.S. Navy lacks a cost-effective way to shoot down a large number of drones at a distance. While the team had been following the Red Sea crisis and the rising costs of counter-drone measures, Annika and Ella noted feeling "in over their heads" initially. However, they found themselves quickly jumping in to get up to speed by researching the Houthi attacks on aircraft carriers in 2023 and 2024. "My first instinct was to learn more," one team member noted, reflecting the team's commitment to the H4D methodology of beneficiary discovery.
Through a rigorous process of conducting 87 interviews, the team realized the scope of the problem was more specific than initially framed. Their understanding evolved from a general lack of cost-effective defense to a specific tactical gap: the U.S. Navy lacks a cost-effective method with magazine depth to shoot down large swarms of Category 3 drones beyond 20 nautical miles.
The Innovation
Team Horizon Shield developed a multi-phased innovation strategy designed to address the threat across different time horizons. Their initial Minimum Viable Product (MVP) focused on immediate needs: equipping existing Super Hornet aircraft with cheaper, modified 70-millimeter laser-guided rockets. The second phase introduced the Nomad drone concept, a vertical takeoff drone that offered reduced space usage while carrying interceptive weapons.
The team’s "Horizon 3" MVP, projected five to ten years out, represents a long-term strategic shift toward autonomous systems. This solution involves Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), automated "Ghost Fleet" ships filled with counter-UAS systems such as directed energy or interceptor drones. By utilizing autonomous boats, the Navy can reduce personnel costs, mitigate risk to human life, and free up manned assets for other duties. As the team noted, once these boats are built, they offer immense flexibility: "Once you build the boats, it doesn't have to be drone defense. It can be multipurpose," serving as adjunct missile magazines or anti-submarine assets.
Commander Conger was "extremely supportive and excited about our concept," eventually reaching out after the course to request the team's presentation and video to brief NAVSEA admirals.
Horizon Shield’s H4D Experience
For the students, the H4D course was a transformative experience that bridged the gap between the classroom and the real world. Annika was drawn to the “hands-on experience and tangible results,” while Ella found the exposure to defense contracting and civilian roles “eye-opening.” Zamer, already fascinated by the development and employment of military technologies, appreciated the opportunity to pursue his niche interests at a high level.
The H4D methodology and its “flipped classroom” model pushed the team to adopt more of an entrepreneurial mindset, which shaped how they approached both the problem and their sponsor. “Being exposed to the entrepreneurial mindset makes you fully immersed in the problem,” the team reflected, noting that it helped them better understand stakeholder needs and iterate more effectively. This mindset also carried through to their broader experience in the course – especially as they explored new career paths and saw firsthand how their work connects to real-world defense challenges.
That immersion led to opportunities to travel to London and Capitol Hill, where they connected with policymakers and gained a better sense of how their problem ties into broader national priorities. These experiences reinforced just how many pathways exist to contribute to national security beyond traditional military roles.
What’s Next
While the team does not plan to continue the project themselves, they have successfully passed their ideas to key Navy decision-makers. The course has had a lasting impact on their career trajectories. Ryan Zamer secured a strategic planning internship at a shipyard building Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, focusing on future ship design. Meanwhile, Annika Johnson and Ella Goodworth are pursuing careers in defense policy and intelligence, with interests in the Intelligence Community and the Armed Services Committee. Annika is returning to the Hill this summer for a congressional internship.
Reflecting on the journey, the team noted they never expected to pursue a career in defense until this class showed them the wide range of civilian and contractor roles available. “I never thought of a career in defense until the class,” one member shared. “There are many ways you can serve your country as a civilian; I didn’t know that existed until H4D.”