Missile Defense

BAE Systems has upped the counter-drone firepower of a quadcopter while keeping costs down by equipping a Malloy T-150 UAV with enough laser-guided precision missiles to counter multiple drone threats during a recent test at a US Air Force base.

Reminding me of those toys where you could swap around parts to make a brand-new toy, Anduril's new Steelfin interceptor missile family uses a two-stage design that allows the vehicle to be quickly reconfigured to counter emerging missile threats.

Lockheed Martin's PAC-3 interceptor missile family has stepped up a notch with its PAC-3 Edge variant. Boasting an improved rocket motor for extended range, the new interceptor is built to engage hypersonic glide vehicles and advanced aerial threats.

What looks like a sailboard but packs a punch like a warship? Thanks to Saildrone and Lockheed Martin, it's the Saildrone Surveyor Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV), which recently fired two Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles (JAGM) during a naval exercise.

Northrop Grumman has unveiled its Raid Hunter chain gun system, adding a new layer to anti-drone swarm defenses by combining cutting-edge AI sensors, precision-guided ammunition, and a motor-driven chain gun feed firing up to 200 rounds per minute.

Lockheed Martin used this year's Farnborough International Airshow to introduce a low-cost alternative to its Patriot surface-to-air interceptor missile called the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Adapted Capability Effector (PAC-3 ACE).

The RAF is buying inflatable missile batteries. It may seem daft, but these lookalike launchers aren't a gag or a ludicrous cost-cutting measure. Part of the new Sting system, their job is to help train fighter pilots in taking out ground-to-air threats.

Shooting down a drone with a fighter jet is as cost effective as wrapping sandwiches in gold foil, but BAE Systems has cut the price by firing an economy anti-drone Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) missile from a Typhoon Eurofighter.

Lockheed Martin has given "pop up" a whole new meaning. Instead of plopping down a shipping container to create an instant cafe, the company used a 10-ft standard container to house a compact GRIZZLY launcher and fire a Hellfire missile.

Not wanting the Americans to have all the Star Wars fun, French multinational Thales has unveiled its answer to the US Golden Dome. Claimed to already be operational, the SkyDefender system is designed to protect entire regions against air and missile attacks.

One of the most successful infantry weapons of the Cold War, if not of the last century, is beginning its journey to retirement as Raytheon successfully demonstrates the Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI), which is set to replace the Stinger missile.

The escalating drone arms race has taken a new turn with Saab's introduction of its Project Nimbrix Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) missile – a low-cost fire-and-forget anti-small-drone and drone swarm weapon with a modest footprint.