Looking like something out of a science fiction thriller, Diehl Defence is showing off its CICADA eMissile, which is the centerpiece of the company's Sky Sphere system for defending against Class 1 and 2 small drones with minimal collateral damage.
This year's Enforce Tac trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany this week spotlighted a host of products aimed at the international security sector. One that stood out was the latest Sky Sphere system, with its modular CICADA eMissile featuring a distinct pyramidal shape thanks to the four delta wings folded the length of its 27.6-in (700-mm) hull with a diameter of 11.8 in (300 mm).
This configuration is designed so that the CICADA can engage small, low-speed drones coming in at under 1,320 lb (600 kg). It comes in two configurations to allow it to be used in both a battlefield environment and civilian areas.
This means it has a reusable non-lethal variant, which uses a net to snare and capture small, slow, low-flying drones intact. That way, Sky Sphere can be used near sports stadiums and similar places where you want minimal bangs and shrapnel.
The other version is the lethal configuration that is lighter in structure because it's not reusable owing to the fragmentation warhead in its aft section that can take out a drone or other targets in a 33-ft (10-m) sphere.
When not in use, the under 22-lb (10-kg) CICADA sits in its container/launcher. When the control vehicles detect and identify possible threats by radar, the appropriate version of the missile launches on an intercept course.
At the front of the vehicle is an in-built radar sensor for the final target approach behind which is a high-speed rotor that accelerates the missile to 124 mph (200 km/h). An onboard battery gives it a flight endurance of up to five minutes at a range of up to three miles (5 km) – the maximum that small drones can be detected on radar. However, the intercept speed of the variant needed to tackle a particular drone can affect this.
For specific customer needs, it can be fitted with additional capabilities, including flight planning, terrain following, and obstacle avoidance. The latter is particularly important if the CICADA is being used in a built-up populated area. It's also human-portable, so it can be easily moved into cramped areas.
The CICADA is discussed in the video below – (in German, so English speakers will need to enable captions).
Source: Diehl Defence