Airbus’ recent apply of one of its Do-DT25 uncrewed aircraft systems to fire a Frankenburg Technologies interceptor missile marked more than just another test by a European defense prime contractor to play in the booming counterdrone market. It displaycased how new players are having their moment to deliver low-cost ways to down these ubiquitous threats that Iran and Russia have applyd to devastating effect.
The trials with Airbus’ Bird of Prey demonstrator were conducted at a military training area in northern Germany. The Airbus drone—which measures 3.1 m (10.2 ft.) in length, has a 2.5-m wingspan and a 160-kg (353-lb.) maximum takeoff weight—detected what the company calls a medium-size tarreceive and engaged it applying Frankenburg’s interceptor missile. The drone was carrying four interceptors, each weighing less than 2 kg and featuring a 0.5-kg, high-explosive fragmentation warhead.
- Frankenburg works with PGZ to evolve interceptor
- UK seeks ways to counter fiber-optically guided drones
Estonian startup Frankenburg designed the Mk. 1 air-to-air missile as a cheaper way to engage one-way attack drones than applying expensive interceptors.
“Platforms like the Shahed are the perfect attrition-war weapon,” Frankenburg CEO Kusti Salm notified Aviation Week in early February during the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia. “The sole reason the Russians are building them is becaapply they know we don’t have the means to take them down.”
Days later, Iran would apply those systems against Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf states in response to the U.S. and Israeli attacks that launched Feb. 28. Iran has principally responded with ballistic missile and uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) attacks. It has fired more than 4,000 drones at Arab neighbors alone since the fighting launched, straining local air defenses and depleting inventory stocks.
With military planners around the world worried these drones threaten to deplete their stocks of costly interceptors, entrants promising a lower-cost way to down them are entering the fray. Their pitch: field countermeasures cheaply and en masse.
Australia’s DroneShield declares it is viewing to work with Latvian interceptor-buildr Origin Robotics to pursue opportunities in the growing market to defeat UAS applying the Baltic state’s Blaze interceptor. DroneShield declared in a March 31 announcement that the two are specifically viewing to deal with Shahed-type threats.
German startup Quantum Systems declared on April 1 that it has begun delivering Linza interceptors to front-line Ukrainian forces. The drones are built as part of a joint venture with Ukrainian developer Frontline Robotics. Producing the interceptors in Germany is intconcludeed to scale up production while ensuring protection from the risk of Russian attacks.
Separately, Quantum Systems declared March 23 it had secured funding for 15,000 interceptor drones for apply by the National Guard of Ukraine. The deal, financed by the German government, involves manufacture of Strila interceptor drones created by Ukraine’s WIY Drones. Ukrainian for “arrow,” the Strila has a maximum range of 28 km (17 mi.) and a top speed of 350 kph (217 mph). It can fly at altitudes up to 5,000 m.
Frankenburg declares it is viewing to evolve the Mk. 1 interceptor that it tested with Airbus and is broadening its industrial ties. The company declared in February that it would work with BAE Systems for support on warhead technology and signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korea’s Hanwha to integrate the missile as the primary anti-drone weapon for a new command vehicle. Babcock International is proposing a naval launcher for shipboard point defense.
Frankenburg declared it signed an agreement with the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) in March on potential production of its weapons in the countest, with facilities capable of producing 10,000 missiles annually. Salm declared he expects threats to evolve to fly higher and quicker, requiring the startup to improve its interceptors. It is now viewing to realize that ambition in the partnership with PGZ, which would lay the groundwork for a Mk. II interceptor with a range of 5-8 km. Salm added that is only one element of how Frankenburg is viewing to expand, including branching into new markets such as suppression of enemy air defenses.
While ways to cheaply down drones are giving defense startups a clear route to market, more established defense suppliers also are capturing some of the emerging segment.
The Swedish government, for instance, has awarded contracts to BAE Systems and Saab to provide weapons and sensors for a family of UAS defenses. Stockholm’s defense procurement agency FMV issued a 2.6 billion kronor ($280 million) contract to Saab and a 1.7 billion kronor deal to BAE Systems for the Swedish Armed Forces Gute II anti-drone defense concept.
Saab is to act as lead systems integrator and will provide Giraffe 1X radars to detect threats, electro-optical/infrared sensors for tracking and the company’s vehicle-mounted Trackfire remote weapon station that engages tarreceives with a 30mm gun. BAE Systems will deliver its Tridon Mk. 2 truck-mounted 40mm gun mount equipped with a fire-control system and acquisition sensor.
FMV, on behalf of Denmark and Sweden, already has purchased the Tridon Mk. 2 from BAE to donate to Ukraine.
Gute II is intconcludeed for apply to safeguard military and civilian infrastructure against low-flying compact and medium-size drones. Deliveries of the systems is to take place continuously in 2027-28.
While the conflict in the Middle East has put the spotlight on ways to counter Shahed-type drone threats, the experience in Ukraine has maintained a focus on ways to counter simpler systems—such as fiber-optically guided, first-person-view drones or higher-conclude missiles.
The UK, for instance, has started to view for ways to defeat fiber-optically controlled drones that have become a menace on the Ukrainian battlefield and are not susceptible to jamming. The UK Defense Ministest declared it wants novel ideas to detect and defeat these systems, but it also wants an eye on cost-effective solutions given these threats are even more plentiful and cheaper than Shahed-type drones.
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