Interceptor drones are Europe’s new hope for downing Russian Shaheds

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.

Explosive charges? Net-firing guns? Aerial anti-drone interceptors use a number of complicated methods. But what about just ramming them at high velocity?

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 was 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.

伦敦——无人机拦截器正在成为一种新型弹药，欧洲制造商表示，这种弹药可能成为对抗成群攻击无人机的相对廉价的方式。

这些系统旨在通过动能撞击或在敌方无人机附近引爆小型弹头来摧毁它们，在乌克兰部署用于对抗俄罗斯制造的“沙赫德”无人机后，这些系统获得了广泛应用。

乌克兰国防采购局局长阿尔森·朱马迪洛夫在DSEI防务展上告诉《防务新闻》，部署此类拦截器是饱受战争蹂躏的乌克兰的优先事项，预计未来几个月产量将会增加。

在乌克兰，这些平台能够追上移动速度较慢的“沙赫德”型无人机，然后将其摧毁。

人们对这些平台的兴趣似乎正在欧洲其他地区蔓延，上周有好几家公司在展会上展示了他们的新版本。

“无人机拦截器是新型的现代化导弹——其生产成本远低于‘沙赫德’导弹，而且其快速飞行速度可以大大加快对敌方系统的杀伤链，”英国海洋与遥感解决方案公司（MARSS）首席执行官约翰内斯·平尔告诉《防务新闻》。

爆炸装置？网状发射炮？空中反无人机拦截器使用多种复杂方法。但如果直接高速撞击呢？

MARSS公司展示了其最新款人工智能拦截器MR的中程版本，首席执行官表示，该拦截器最高时速可达288公里。该公司计划测试该拦截器对抗无人机群的能力，届时将由一名操作员同时操控多架拦截器并进行发射。

拦截者MR预计将于2026年全面投产，最近几周已向一个海湾国家售出数架。北约计划在未来几个月内对其进行评估。

瑞士国防制造商Destinus也展示了其新型“大黄蜂”拦截系统，旨在对抗廉价无人机和无人机群。在DSEI防务展之前，总部位于英国的初创公司剑桥航空航天公司（Cambridge Aerospace）首次展示了其“天锤”（Skyhammer）拦截器，称其为“低成本、可快速扩展的巡航导弹和大型无人机拦截器”。

皮恩尔认为，现代战争的一个重大转变——主要由乌克兰快速发展的技术推动——是部队应对无人机威胁的反应时间缩短。

他强调，几年前，当无人机还在几公里之外时，士兵还有几分钟的反应时间，而如今，在某些情况下，这个时间窗口已经缩短到 30 秒。

上个月，英国国防部与国际无人机能力联盟合作，发布了一份信息征询书，旨在研究拦截无人机作为对抗喷气式单向爆炸无人机的潜力。这类无人机系统可能非常危险，因为它们的飞行速度可超过350公里/小时，飞行高度可超过12000英尺。

“它们的大量扩散对部署部队和关键国家基础设施构成重大且不断演变的威胁，”国防部公告称。

伊丽莎白·戈斯林-马洛曾任《防务新闻》欧洲通讯员。她的报道涵盖军事采购和国际安全等广泛领域，尤其擅长航空领域的报道。她常驻意大利米兰。