LONDON — Drone interceptors are emerging as the newest munition that European manufacturers say could become a relatively inexpensive way of countering swarms of attack drones.
These systems, designed to destroy hostile drones by ramming them with kinetic force or by exploding a small warhead near them, have gained traction following their deployment against Russian-made Shahed drones in Ukraine.
The director of the Ukrainian Defense Procurement Agency, Arsen Zhumadilov, told Defense News at the DSEI trade show here that fielding such interceptors is a priority for the warn-torn country, with production expected to ramp up in the coming months.
In Ukraine, these platforms have been able to catch up to the slower-moving Shahed-type of drones before destroying them.
The interest surrounding these platforms appears to be catching on elsewhere in Europe, as several companies paraded their new variants at the fair last week.
“Drone interceptors are the new modern missile – their cost of production is well-below the Shaheds and their rapid speed allows to considerably quicken the kill-chain against enemy systems,” Johannes Pinl, chief executive officer of the British company Marine and Remote Sensing Solutions (MARSS), told Defense News.
MARSS showcased one of its latest AI-enabled Interceptor MR in a medium-range version, which the CEO said can travel at a speed of up to 288 kilometers per hour. The company wants to test it against swarms of drones, with one human operator firing and managing multiple interceptors at once.
The Interceptor MR is expected to reach full production in 2026 with several units sold in recent weeks to a Gulf country. A NATO country evaluation is planned in the coming months.
The Swiss defense manufacturer Destinus also displayed its new Hornet interceptor system intended to defeat cheap drones and swarms. Ahead of DSEI, the U.K.-based start-up Cambridge Aerospace described its Skyhammer, shown here for the first time, as a “low-cost, rapidly scalable interceptor for cruise missiles and large drones.”
According to Pinl, a significant shift in modern warfare – largely driven by the fast-paced technological developments emerging from Ukraine – is the reduced reaction time troops have to respond to drone threats.
Whereas some years ago soldiers had several minutes to react when drones were still kilometers away, he highlighted that today that time window has, in some cases, shrunk to 30 seconds.
Last month, the UK Ministry of Defense, in partnership with the international Drone Capability Coalition, issued a request for information to examine the potential of an interceptor drone as a way to counter jet-powered, one-way explosive unmanned aerial vehicles. These systems can prove to be particularly dangerous as they can operate at speeds exceeding 350 km/h and altitudes above 12,000 ft.
“[Their] mass proliferation is a significant and evolving threat to both deployed forces and critical national infrastructure,” the MoD notice said.
Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo is a Europe correspondent for Defense News. She covers a wide range of topics related to military procurement and international security, and specializes in reporting on the aviation sector. She is based in Milan, Italy.
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