From tiny mobile devices to advanced modular systems eliminating various types of facilities, the Kielce arms fair has shown that combating unmanned vehicles is now 1 of the key elements of airspace protection. Anti-drone systems were presented by Polish and abroad companies. There were premieres and solutions tested on the battlefield.
MaddosMDP, AP-Flyer, photograph by Michał Niwicz
For the military, the service and the civilian market. During MSPO’24, manufacturers presented a wide scope of anti-drone systems
The military usage of autonomous vehicles and aircraft makes the request for drone systems increasing, which will let countries to defend themselves against drone attacks. This trend was clearly seen during the late completed global Defence manufacture Salon.
Innovative anti-drone solutions were presented in Kielce by the company AP-Flyer. The Polish company first showed its newest product from the well-known Maddos line. Maddos MDP (Mobile Drone Protection) is simply a small-sized device whose task is to detect drones and then neutralize them by launching a jammer-based jammer. As a consequence of radio interference, an enemy drone may be forced to return to the starting point or mark an obstacle on which it will crash. Maddos MDP detects drones within a radius of 3 km, while the neutralisation scope is kilometre. The strategy is designed to fight both single unmanned and swarms. As experience from the Ukrainian battlefield shows, drone swarms are increasingly utilized to carry out attacks.
AP-Flyer kamikaze drone, photograph Michał Niwicz
What distinguishes AP-Flyer products from competitors are tiny sizes and easy to install. The strategy can be placed on any military or civilian vehicle, which makes its usage very wide: from the protection of tanks and armored vehicles to convoy protection. "We designed this strategy after analyzing the situation in the war in Ukraine, where very frequently small-sized drones are utilized to attack military vehicles. Our solution allows you to rapidly “modernize” any vehicle, protecting it from drone attacks," says Paweł Adventure, Technology manager at AP-Flyer. Maddos MDP is undergoing the final phase of the tests and in the close future will be tested under combat conditions in Ukraine, as the maker has been cooperating with the Ukrainian army for any time.
AP-Flyer besides cooperates with Ukrainian partners in developing another elements of Maddos system. At the fair, the company besides presented a modernized version of the russian cannon anti-aircraft ZU-23-2. The cannon creates an anti-drone strategy by integrating into Maddos radar and optoelectronic head. Effectively combats targets from a distance of up to a mile. This solution is already being utilized by Ukrainian armed forces. Ukrainian soldiers will shortly get another novelty from AP-Flyer's offer for testing. – This is the last layer of protection in our system, the alleged “hard kill” solution, to which we scope erstwhile the usage of jamming devices is not enough. Then our Assassin kamikaze drone automatically launches and flies towards the enemy unmanned and then explodes right in front of it or rams it. It is primarily designed to neutralize circulating ammunition, specified as Shahed," explains Paweł Adventure. Assassin's scope is 8 km at a maximum velocity of up to 200 km/h.
An iron fist from Israel
MSPO ‘24 was an chance to watch a long announced fresh version of Israel's active defence strategy Iron Fist produced by the company Elbit System. It is not a classical anti-drone system, as it was designed as an component of protection of tanks and armored vehicles against attacks utilizing various types of missiles. Iron Fist consists of radar and infrared cameras that monitor the space around the vehicle, identifying and tracking the threat. Then a rocket is fired to destruct the vehicle. In the first generation system, the Iron Fist was primarily aimed at anti-tank missiles. In the latest version it is besides designed to destruct pilotless pilots, primarily kamikaze drones.
Iron Fist, Elbit System. photograph Elbit
Elbit besides showed in Kielce a more classical anti-drone system, besides designed to be installed on vehicles, although it can be mounted, among others, at stationary stations. These are radios connected to a computer that detects various types of pilotless vehicles within a 10-mile radius. The full thing is supported by artificial intelligence algorithms.
Interceptor and innovative software
Advanced Protection Systems is simply a Polish company from Gdynia, which already contributes to the construction of the protection of Polish airspace from unmanned workers. On MSPO you can see the flagship elements this year SKYCTrl system utilized by Polish armed forces. The light, portable version of this strategy is besides utilized by Ukrainian troops.
The latest presented at the fair was the Interceptor fighter drone. – This effector (anti-drone systems consist of receptors that track objects and effectors that are utilized to neutralise them – ed.) kinetic, but does not contain any explosive charge. It neutralises the enemy unmanned by force of impact, thus minimising losses and demolition – Jacek Duliński, head of marketing at APS, presents the product. The interceptor is integrated with the full SKYctrl system. The drone has already tested and is ready for production.
SKYCTrl, Advanced Protection Systems, photograph APS
At the APS stand, the CyView C2 command and control strategy was presented as an integral part of the SKYctrl line. – This is not completely new, due to the fact that the software itself already functions, but it is constantly being developed. We have a polygonal and combat experience and we introduce fresh functions based on these experiences – says Jacek Duliński. The software allows you to connect all different elements of the SKYCTrl system, depending on your needs, you can make an appropriate configuration of radars to track drones and effectors to destruct them. Just 1 operator that can control the full strategy with a peculiar laptop.
Anti-drone strategy from MBDA
Sky Warden is an anti-drone strategy presented by the European MBDA company. This is simply a modular solution, the components of which are supplied by different companies, while MBDA acts as an integrator of the whole. He besides provides the command and control system. There is besides a Polish accent – radars from Advanced Protection Systems.
Sky Warden MBDA, photograph by Michał Niwicz
The main presumption of Sky Warden is adjusting the configuration to the customer's needs. Depending on the modules used, the strategy can not only fight different types of unmanned vehicles – from the smallest drones to advanced circulating ammunition, but besides usage different means – from the cheapest ones, to 10 cents per shot, to advanced laser-controlled rockets, the cost of which is up to 50 1000 euros. Depending on the drone control measures, Sky Warden can operate from 400 m to 8 km. In combating drones and their swarms, Sky Warden uses both laser and various types of missiles. Apart from neutralizing the kinetic system, it besides uses jammeres – these are besides supplied by a company from Gdynia. Targeting hostile objects takes place in 2 ways. Sky Warden is equipped with an optoelectronic head with a thermal head and laser rangefinder and radar.
Thales with a strategy to combat tiny drones
Thales is simply a company that has already established a position in the marketplace for combating pilots and protecting airspace. At the global Defence manufacture Exhibition, the company came to offer C-UAS systems. These systems focus on tracking and neutralizing the smallest drones: micro (up to 2 kg) and mini (2 to 20 kg). They are hard to detect by conventional radars utilized at airports. It is in the safety of airports or critical infrastructure facilities that the C-UAS strategy specialises. Thales besides recommends it as an component of expanding safety in large cities and protecting mass events. C-UAS manufactured by Thales has been successfully utilized for years and has been constantly upgraded and expanded with fresh features, besides based on artificial intelligence.
Hertz drone.
The Green Mountain company Hertz fresh Technologies presented on MSPO ‘24 its already well-known detection and control strategy Unmanned Hawkwhich is constantly being developed with fresh elements. The fair premiere was a drone hunter. This is an unmanned man who, after detecting an enemy object in the air, tracks it down and then fires a grid that prevents it from continuing to fly. If the weight of the drone does not exceed 25 kg, it shall be transported in a grid to the location indicated by the operator. erstwhile the intercepted unmanned is heavier, it is parachuted down at the location of the take-over by the hunter. Hertz's latest drone has a scope of up to 25 km and can stay in the air for 40 min. This solution for the civilian marketplace can be used, for example, to defend critical infrastructure. The huntsman can intercept all types of commercial pilots.
Hawk, Hertz. photograph by Michał Niwicz
In Kielce the drone was presented in the driver-controlled version. In the close future, however, the maker plans to make an autonomous device. Another model of the huntsman will be integrated into the radar strategy and after the signal of the enemy object appears, it will launch itself, track the mark and neutralize it.
Ukrainian solutions tested on the front
The National Association of Ukrainian Defence manufacture has besides prepared its stand at the Kielce Fair. A large part of the exhibition was dedicated to Kvertus, the leading maker of anti-drone systems in Ukraine. The Kiev maker showed, among others, portable jammers placed in backpacks. Thanks to its tiny size and convenient handling system, soldiers usage them during patrols, during combat operations and evacuations. At MSPO Kvertus presented the latest F2 M50 model, which in its work covers the full 700–1050 MHz frequency band. The strategy is based on multi-directional antennas, thus effectively protecting the soldier from the attack of drones on each side. The jammer is ready to operate within 30 s from on and can operate continuously for 2 hours without replacing the battery.
KVERTUS AD COUNTER FPV F2 M50. photograph Kvertus
KVERTUS AD G-6+. Photo: Kvertus
Another Kvertus product tested in combat is simply a portable jamming strategy AD G-6+, which in its form resembles a grenade launcher. This is the latest version of jammeres supplied by a Kiev company on the front. Subsequent upgrades are carried out on the basis of changes suggested by soldiers. The most crucial direction is to increase the frequency and operating scope of interference. The latest variant of the Ukrainian anti-drone strategy may interfere with the operation of an enemy pilot from a distance of up to 3.5 km. It neutralizes enemy drones not only by interfering with their navigation, it can besides interrupt data transmission to the operator and disable the image from the camera. 1 battery allows up to 40 minutes of continuous operation.
