U.S. and allies investing in small attack drones for hard-kill defenses against unmanned aircraft

Oct. 10, 2019
Manufacturer not saying which militaries it has been working with as part of the project or whether there are any additional foreign customers.

COSTA MESA, Calif. – A small California-based tech startup reportedly has begun supplying small "hard kill" attack drones to the U.S. military that are designed to bring down similarly sized hostile unmanned aircraft by physically smashing into them. The Drive reports. Continue reading original article

The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:

10 Oct. 2019 -- The market, within the U.S. and around the world, for counter-drone systems, ranging from electronic warfare jammers to directed energy weapons to suicide drones, has exploded in recent years as the threats that even relatively cheap and diminutive unmanned aircraft pose has become glaringly apparent.

Anduril Industries Inc. in Costa Mesa, Calif., unveiled what its officials call the "Interceptor" on 3 Oct. 2019 2019. The company says it started delivering its system to the U.S. and United Kingdom militaries earlier in the year and now has a contract to support activities at an unspecified location overseas, likely as part of a field test, according to reports from Bloomberg and NBC News.

Anduril has not specified what American or British military branches specifically it has been working with as part of the project or whether there are any additional foreign customers.

Related: The new world of counter-drone technology

Related: Drone attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities underlines the need for new kinds of counter-UAV air defenses

Related: Perimeter-security counter-drone system offers ability to detect and commandeer intruding UAVs

John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Military Aerospace, create an account today!